On Tour With Carmen Stefanescu

It’s always a pleasure to meet new authors and discover their books and when that author lives in another country, it makes blogdom that much more appealing. With that in mind, I’d delighted to welcome author Carmen Stefanescu here today as she makes a stop on her virtual blog tour for her latest release, Shadows of the Past.

You see, Carmen was born in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.

Carmen write paranormal romance. Here’s a brief synopsis of Shadows of the Past:
    Genevieve, a young nun at the St. Mary’s Abbey, is torn between her sacred vows to God and her guilty love for Andrew, the nuns’ priest. She hopes that one day people will forgive and forget their sins and accept them into society. If only the scorned and bitter Abbess will allow her to leave the clerical life.
    Anne, a well-to-do young English businesswoman, leaves on a holiday, hoping to reconcile with her fiancé Neil, after their bitter separation. Still hurting from his betrayal, Anne suspects that Gillian, her former business partner and friend played a major part in it.
    Has destiny other plans for Anne? Why, then, do the two lovers lose their way and have to spend the night in an odd forest? Whose is the human skeleton they find and why does the bejeweled cross laying under the bones trigger a strong feeling of apprehension in Anne? Is there a connection between the strange women who haunt Anne’s dreams and the ruins of a large building the two lovers come upon, deep in the forest? What is it that these ghostly apparitions want from her?
    Shadows of the Past - revenge, witchcraft, desire and betrayal, clash and intertwine over the centuries in a passionate edge of your seat read weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love. 

Carmen has graciously answered some questions for me about her writing.

Mason - Have you always wanted to write or was there an event that lead you to writing?
 
Carmen - I love writing. For me, being a writer is a state of mind. I’ve been writing since I was a student as reading and writing have been an intricate part of my life. Satirical poems and short stories at that time, in my native tongue, Romanian. They remained only drawer projects. After the fall of the Ceausescu's regime, after 1989, I was able to tackle my dream and tried to go public with poems in English. Not love poems, but more, let's say, philosophical thoughts on life and pastels. I was awarded the Silver Cup for poetry in 2004 for my English poems. 

Then I continued with short-stories that also remained drawer projects up to now. However, those were my toddler steps taken to get me to the stage of walking in the world of writing. At last I continued with longer fiction. As about the event that made me write Shadows of the Past, it was something on the spot, after reading a small article in a newspaper about a mountain in England haunted by the restless souls of a nun and a priest. It simply sparkled my imagination.

Mason - What was the hardest part of creating the supernatural realm where Genevieve resides?

Carmen - Genevieve lives in real world, England. Not being a supernatural realm, I had to study as much info as I could find on Medieval England, especially life in monasteries. As about the supernatural apparitions. . . Well, I've always been fascinated by paranormal phenomena and I read everything either fiction, or articles in magazines, or biographies of mediums, clairvoyants, etc. on this subject.
 
Mason - In what order do your characters come to life - name, physical description, personality? 
   
Carmen - When I write, I can literally visualize the scenes playing out in my mind as I start writing under the direct charge of my characters. Names come at the same time with physical description and personality. In my humble opinion there's a direct thread linking these. I can't imagine a character named Cruela as a sweet young girl or Bull as prince charming, can you? The two main characters in Shadows of the Past, Genevieve and Andrew, simply 'appeared before me', name, appearance, all.

Mason - Does your Romanian background have an influence on your writing?
    
Carmen - I can't say for sure. Anyway, there's a saying around here, "All Romanians are born poets." And if we think that I started with poetry first, it gives substance to this saying. For a direct answer, yes. Especially in my next project based mostly on Romania's history.

Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?  
  
Carmen - I’ve recently finished my second novel. Another paranormal. A historical one. It’s something linked to Vlad the Imapaler’s life. So again, the Middle Ages, as I have always found this time period fascinating. This time the setting is Walachia, present-day Romania.

There are so many books on Vlad, written by foreigners who focus on the “vampire” idea, and I think it’s time for one of his country people to show what historical, political and social circumstances led to his being nicknamed Dracula. Dracula’s Mistress goes “against the grain”; it's the first novel to present the prince as a real human being - with his good parts and his faults  - not as the infamous vampire. My submission was accepted by the publisher I'd sent it to and I already signed the contract.

Mason - Explain the process you took to have your book published from the time the idea for the plot came to you until it was published.

Carmen - Writing isn't easy work. It starts before you put your fingers to the keyboard and it doesn't end the moment you finish the manuscript. No. The real labor only now begins: getting your story published. The road to publication may be long and hard and it was a troublesome, sinuous one for me. After finishing the novel in 2002, longhand, I started looking for an agent and transferring. 

I sometime imagine what a face must those literary agents have made at reading my emails. At that time I had no idea what a query, pitch or blurb was and simply wrote how I felt it. Little by little, while rejections kept piling in my inbox, I learned things about publishing I had no idea about, until then. Swallowing the lump of bitter tears, I kept writing queries and thanked those editors who took the time to send me not just an automated rejection reply but wrote an explanation of why they thought Shadows of the Past was not fit for them and expressed their regrets for rejecting it.
 
I always behave civil and good-mannered. Why throw tantrums and rebukes and not ask yourself "What am I doing wrong?" or "What do I have to change in my query/ summary or even in the story itself to make it appealing?" It's, after all, a matter of marketing your merchandise, i.e. your story. Between endless cups of coffee and Googling the publishers, I polished my query style; I self-educated myself in this field.  
 
I understood that for me, living in Europe, would have meant a huge sum of money to send paper manuscripts by traditional post to be examined by agents or editors living in USA. The only thing left was e-publishing. I was reluctant at first. I still like to read a printed book, to hold it in my hands and smell the ink and pages, and I said to myself "Who is going to read e-books, except young people who are fond of everything computer related?"
 
Later, I realized e-books are the future in publishing and I started sending queries again. To e-publishers this time. It wasn't easy here, either. Searching through dozens and dozens of publishing houses, checking their names through Beware, to avoid being deceived by dishonest "publishers", then checking if they publish my genre of story, or length and what their other requirements are. 

I passed the story through several beta readers who helped me with issues of language usage and even details regarding actual life realities in the places I described in my books. My kudos to Ella, Mia, Bill and Kathleen, all living in English speaking countries. At last, in 2010 I signed the contract with Wild Child Publishing. The editing process followed and, at last, Shadows of the Past was released last December. I’ve learned so much in these last few years about the craft of writing--and I hope to keep improving. 

It may sound easy but, take my word it brought me to despair sometimes. Once, on the verge of quitting, the words told to me by an editor and beta rang in my ears. I state them for all aspiring authors: "Follow your dream. Roll with the punch of rejection, be open with constructive criticism, yet stay true to your style of writing and go on. You'll finally succeed!" It's what happened to me.

Carmen, thanks for joining us today and sharing your experience with the publishing industry. I love the encouragement you received to keep going. Very inspiring.

To let you know a bit more about Carmen, she is a teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters. Carmen survived the grim years of oppression by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books. 

Carmen has dreamt all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.

For more on Carmen and her writing, visit her website and find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Ask David. Shadows of the Past can be purchased on Amazon, Wild Child Publishing, and B&N.

Here’s a book trailer for Shadows of the Past for your enjoyment.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Are you a fan of paranormal romance? What words of encouragement would you give someone attempting to have a book published?

Identity Crisis Excerpt Reveal Tour

It’s my pleasure today to welcome author Eliza Daly back to Thoughts in Progress as she celebrates the release of her latest novel, Identity Crisis, with an Excerpt Reveal Tour.

First, a brief synopsis of Identity Crisis.
    When Olivia Doyle’s father dies under suspicious circumstances, rather than inheriting a family fortune, she inherits a new identity. She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob.
    Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across country to a family and past she doesn’t remember.
    At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized. 
    Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever?

Identity Crisis is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, All Romance, eBooks.com, and Kobo.

A Special Prize Giveaway
To celebrate the March 4th release of Identity Crisis, Eliza will be awarding one $20 gift certificate, and two $10 gift certificates, for either Amazon or Barnes & Noble to three randomly drawn commenters during her Excerpt Reveal Tour yesterday and today. Please be sure to include your e-mail address with your comment, if you’d like to be enter in the contest. Winners will be contacted on March 8. Good luck everyone!

Now for the excerpt from Identity Crisis……..
      
     Father Clifford slipped a yellowed envelope from the side pocket of his vestment. “Your father gave this to me many years ago. Asked that I give it to you upon his death.”
     She took the envelope from his hand. The organ music faded and a desolate, eerie stillness fell over the church, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She tightened the shawl around her shoulders. She opened the envelope to find a letter and a newspaper clipping. She started with the letter.
      
     Dear Livvy,
     First, know that I loved you more than anything in this world. That’s why I hope someday you’ll forgive me for what I’ve done. Telling you the truth while I was alive could have put your life in danger. Now that I’m gone, I no longer fear for your safety. They would only have hurt you to get to me.
     The only way to keep us safe was to enter the Witness Protection Program when you were five. Leaving our friends and family was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I can’t stand the thought of you now being alone. I hope you’ll go back to our family, in the town where I grew up, Five Lakes, Wisconsin. I’d like to be laid to rest there, next to your mother. Please forgive me enough to grant me this one last wish. If you should ever encounter any problems, contact Roy Howard, the U.S. Marshal who relocated us, at 415-334-9076. I’m so sorry. Please believe you were the most important thing to me. You were my life. My Livvy.
     Love, Dad
      
     Olivia stood paralyzed, her mind racing, trying to comprehend the letter. Was this some kind of sick joke? For the past twenty-four years her dad had lived in fear that somebody would hurt them? What had forced him to leave behind everyone he’d loved? Everyone she’d probably loved, but obviously couldn’t remember. And if her mom wasn’t buried in San Francisco, whose grave had Olivia been visiting here all these years? She tried to hold the letter steady in her trembling hands. Of course it was vague. Her dad had been a man of few words. However, these few words expressed a lot of emotion, something he’d never been good at doing.
     “Is everything all right?” Father Clifford’s voice penetrated her thoughts.
     Concern creased the older man’s brow and from the curiosity filling his gray eyes, he had no clue what the envelope contained. Her dad hadn’t even trusted a priest with his secret. Her dad had been the only person she’d ever really trusted, and it turned out she hadn’t truly known him.
     She merely nodded, unable to find her voice. She inhaled a deep breath. The scent of beeswax candles and incense did little to calm the panic racing through her veins. She unfolded a clipping from a Chicago newspaper, dated twenty-four years ago. The headline read Art Dealer in Bed with Mob Blows Whistle on Forgery Ring and Vinnie Carlucci. The article included a photo of police officers escorting her dad. She started reading the article. Prominent Chicago art dealer Andrew Donovan confesses to having sold more than a hundred forgeries …
     Her stomach dropped. She slapped a hand over her mouth, certain she was about to vomit right there on the pew.
     Her dad had been a criminal.
     The nature of his crime made it all the more surreal.
     She stared in disbelief at the papers in her hand. His name had been Andrew Donovan, not Alex Doyle. Her last name was Donovan. Was her first name actually Olivia? Instead of inheriting a family fortune, she’d inherited a new identity.
     Or rather, an old one.

Now doesn’t that just grab your attention? So many unanswered questions and wondering where it all will lead.

If you haven’t meet Eliza before, let me tell you a bit about her. Eliza’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley, Frankie, and Sammy.

You can find Eliza at her website, and on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. What would you do if you suddenly found out your family had been living in the Witness Protection Program all of your life?

On Tour With Peter Leonard & Back From The Dead

I’m delighted today to be a part of author Peter Leonard’s Partners In Crime virtual blog tour for his latest suspense novel, Back From The Dead.

This intriguing 282- page book (ISBN: print - 978-1-61188-063-2, eBook - 978-1-61188-064-9) was published by The Story Plant. It can be purchased from Amazon, B&N, and Goodreads.

    Peter’s jaw-dropping Voices Of The Dead introduced us to two mortal enemies: Holocaust survivor Harry Levin and Nazi death angel Ernst Hess. Now, their struggle reaches its dramatic conclusion in Back From The Dead.
    Bahamas, 1971. Ernst Hess, missing and presumed dead, regains consciousness to find himself stuck in a hospital bed on a strange ward in a foreign country. He must do what he needs to do to get his life back and to finish the job he has been doing for decades.
    Harry believes he has already stopped Hess. When he finds out that the war criminal has somehow survived, Harry must do the only thing he can do – kill Hess again – even if it means crossing continents and putting his life and the lives of those that matter to him on the line.
    Action-packed and darkly humorous, Back From The Dead is the unforgettable conclusion to a story that launches Peter Leonard into the pantheon of great suspense novelists. 

Peter joins us today and has graciously answered some questions for me about his writing and his book.

Mason - How do you go about doing research for your writing? Is it a process you enjoy or just find it necessary?

Peter - I typically Google a subject and get most of what I need. You can find useful information like: how to steal a car, how to pick a lock, gun stats, redneck names and expressions, and with a satellite map you can visit a location from the comfort of your desk and actually zoom in on streets, buildings and houses. I don't particularly enjoy research, but it's important.

Mason - In what order does your characters come to life - name, physical description, personality?

Peter - The name helps define the character, and helps the character talk, and when the dialogue is right, the character comes to life. I try not to describe a character in a lot of detail. You know the person by the way he or she talks.

Mason - Of these three elements (name, physical description, personality), which is the easiest to develop and which is the hardest?

Peter - I think describing a character is the easiest. Creating a real and interesting personality is a lot more difficult.

Mason - Why write this series of books? What made this story so compelling to you that you had to tell it?

Peter - Three things influenced my writing Voices of the Dead. I dated a Jewish girl in college. I visited Dachau concentration camp. And I read an article in the Washington Post about a drunk diplomat who killed a girl in an auto accident and was given immunity from prosecution. My editor loved the book and asked if I'd be willing to write a sequel. 
 
Mason - Have you always wanted to write or was there an event that lead you to writing?

Peter - I wrote ads for many years, and decided to try my hand at fiction because I was bored. After a little trial and error, it worked.

Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?

Peter - My next book is called Eyes Closed Tight. It's based in part on time hanging out with Detroit Police Homicide Section. I talked to detectives, went to crime scenes, and read old case files. The experience was invaluable.

Peter, thanks for visiting with us today and giving us a look at how your writing comes about. It is amazing what one can find with Google. BTW, if the last name of Leonard sounds familiar, Peter is the son of Elmore Leonard.

Peter lives in Birmingham, Michigan with his wife and four children. He is a partner in the ad agency of Leonard, Mayer & Tocco, Inc. 

For more on Peter and his writing, visit his website at http://peterleonardbooks.com/ or find him on Facebook.

To tempt you a bit more, Peter has shared an excerpt from Back From The Dead.

     Harry pulled in the driveway, parked and went in the side door. He expected to see Colette in the kitchen, starting dinner. She was going to make sauerbraten, potato dumplings and red cabbage, an authentic German meal. He’d been thinking about it all day and he was hungry. Colette was a terrific cook, and that was another benefit of living with her. He threw his keys on the counter, hit the message button on the answering machine. Another one from Galina. 
     “Harry, you going to call me one of these days?” 
     No, he said to himself. Walked into the foyer, glanced in the den and moved into the living room. Someone was sitting in his leather chair, legs crossed on the ottoman. The man had dark shoulder-length hair and wore black jeans, a white shirt and a black leather jacket. 
     “I don’t think you’re a burglar,” Harry said, “or you’d be looking for the silver, so tell me what you’re doing in my house?” 
     “I stopped by your office. We could have handled it there, but you were too busy to see me,” he said with an accent that sounded like he was from Berlin. 
     “You buying or selling?”      
     “I am trading.”      
     “For what?” Although Harry had a pretty good idea.   
     “Where is Ernst Hess?” 
     “I’d try his estate in Schleissheim or his apartment in Munich. Maybe start by talking to his family and business associates?" 
     “I know he came here to see you.” 
     “Where’s Colette?” 
     “Safe for now. Tell me about Herr Hess.” 
     Harry pulled the Colt from under his shirt and aimed it at him. “I’ll tell you what. You want to trade, I’ll trade Colette for you. We can start there, see how it goes.” 
     “Put the gun away. You are not going to shoot me or you will never find her.” 
     The guy got up and came toward him. He was tall, six two, six three, and looked like he was in shape. Harry pulled the hammer back with his thumb. “First one’s going to blow out your knee cap. You better hope there isn’t a second one.” That seemed to persuade him. The German froze. 
     “I’m going to give you another chance. Where’s Colette?” 
     “Not far from here.” 
     “Let’s go see how she’s doing.” 
     “I have to call, tell them we are coming.” 
     “How many are there?” 
     “Two.” 
     “We’re going to surprise them,” Harry said. “And if they’ve done anything to Colette, you’re the first one I’m going to shoot. Believe that if you believe anything. Take off your coat, throw it over here and turn around.” He did and Harry checked the two outside pockets of the jacket, found a parking receipt, and a pair of handcuffs. There was also a piece of notepaper that had an address on Crooks Road in Troy and a phone number. “This where they have Colette?”  
     In the other pocket he found car keys and a small semi-automatic. He ejected the magazine and put it in his pocket. The German had his back to Harry, looking over his shoulder. 
     “Take off your clothes. I want to see what else you’ve got.” 
     The German stripped down to his briefs and tossed everything on the floor at Harry’s feet. Harry picked up the man’s pants and checked the pockets, found the key to the handcuffs and his wallet. Opened it, name Albin Zeller from Munich on the driver’s license. 
     “You a Nazi, too, Albin?” Harry said. 
     Zeller, with his back to him, didn’t say anything. He was less threatening now in his underwear, thin legs, pale skin that had never been in the sun. 
     “Why are you looking for Hess?” He didn’t respond. 
     “You break in, say you want to talk, but you don’t say anything.” Hess was a wealthy man and a member of the Christian Social Union, an important political figure in Germany. Harry could understand why there were people who wanted him found. Hess must have told someone his plans. Otherwise how would Zeller have been able to follow his trail to Detroit? Harry threw him the handcuffs. “Put them on.” 
     Zeller turned, caught them, clamped them on his wrists. “Where’s your car?” 
     “On the street.” 
     That wasn’t going to work, walking a handcuffed Nazi in his undies out to the car at gunpoint. “All right, let’s go. We’ll take mine.” 
     “They are expecting a phone call.” 
     “Well they’re going to be surprised then, aren’t they?” 
     “What about my clothes?” 
     “You’re not going to need them.” 
     “You drive up to the house they will kill her,” Zeller said. 
     “Then we won’t drive up to the house.” 
     Harry was parked in the driveway by the side door. It was 5:30 and almost dark. He led Zeller out, popped the trunk, took his eye off the German for a second and Zeller took off, hurdled the neighbor’s fence like a track star and disappeared. Harry started after him and stopped. Went back to the car, closed the trunk and drove to Troy to find Colette. 
     Dominic stared at the baby as Zeppe drove, letting his finger trace along her forehead. “She’s quiet for one so young,” he said, no trace of the vehemence that tainted his voice earlier. 
     “Yeah, I guess she likes you.” 
     “And look at those eyes. Such big brown eyes.” 
     “Beautiful,” Zeppe said, but he never took his eyes from the road. 
     When the little girl smiled, Dominic smiled with her, but soon afterward turned somber. He thought of the fate Maria suffered because of him. If anyone should have had children it was her, but she refused to marry Dominic because of what he was, and she refused to marry anyone else. He saw the pain when she sat at the playground and watched the children play. Pain she didn’t deserve. Perhaps this was God’s answer to his prayers. 
     There would be birth certificate issues and people to pay off…but that could be arranged. The bigger problem was getting Maria to accept the baby and then making sure no one ever told the truth. That was the difficult one. Truth had a way of creeping through cracks and oozing to the top, no matter how deep it was buried. He knew he could trust Zeppe, and he could trust Maria…but something in his gut ate at him. This would take careful planning. 
     Zeppe pulled up to a warehouse. Dominic got rid of the gun and changed clothes. Half an hour later he turned down the street to Maria’s house. 
     “Turn the corner and park on the street after hers,” Dominic said. “We’ll walk.” 
     “Dom, it’s cold, and that baby—” 
     “The baby will be fine in the blanket. I’d rather not be seen on Maria’s street.” 
     After Zeppe parked, Dominic checked to make sure no one was watching then signaled Zeppe to bring the baby. They walked around the corner and up to Maria’s house. 
     A few knocks brought Maria to the door, surprise registering on her face when she saw them. “What are you doing here?” Her voice not much above a whisper. 
     Maria was the same as always—as plain as her tawny hair and as quiet as a church at night. “Came to see my beautiful friend,” Dominic said, and removed his cap. 
     She brushed her fingers through the sides of her hair. “Beautiful? I’m already graying.” 
     Dominic hugged her and kissed her forehead. “I love that gray,” he said, then nodded to Zeppe, who handed the baby to Maria. 
     She went wide-eyed. “Whose baby is this?” She held the girl against her and peeled the blanket back one layer at a time. “She’s so small. Where’s the mother?” 
     Dominic brushed the baby’s red cheeks with his finger, and nudged her head with his nose, sniffing in her scent. For the second time tonight a smile lit his face. “Babies are so innocent. You can even smell it on them.” 
     Maria walked through the house, humming a tune while she rocked the baby in her arms. “You didn’t answer me, Dominic. Who does she belong to? Some woman friend of yours?” 
     “I’m surprised at you for saying such a thing, Maria.” Westminster chimes were signaling the half-hour. Dominic waited for them to stop; they were Maria’s favorite. “We found her on the street corner. She was in a stroller, freezing.” 
     Maria looked at him, perhaps trying to judge the truth. “I’m sorry, Dominic, it’s just…I thought…” She shook her head and continued walking. “Who would do that to a baby?” She kissed the girl’s head several times. “Poor baby,” she said, then turned to Dominic. “What can we do with her? Did you call those...services people?” 
     “You know I would never do that; besides, you always wanted a child. Now God has sent you one.” 
     “Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t keep her.” Maria made the statement, blessed herself when she said it, but a plea rode on her words. 
     “You must keep her. God has given you a gift. Someone who didn’t care abandoned her, now someone who does care will raise her.” 
     Maria stared at Dominic for a long time, then she hugged the baby as tears formed in her eyes. “There is no way I can keep her, but I will watch her for a while.” She walked with her for a few moments, then said, “In the meantime, I’ll call her Concetta.” 
     Dominic nodded, a smile on his face. Maria would never let go of that baby. “Concetta Gianelli. A good name.” 
     “I told you, Dominic, I can’t keep her. What would the neighbors say? They will—” 
     Zeppe shook his head. “Tell them a relative died. Trust me, they won’t say anything.” He leaned over and kissed Maria on the cheek, then kissed the baby. “I promise you.” 
     Dominic looked at Maria, then Zeppe. “If Maria keeps Concetta, no one is to know where she came from. Understand? No one.” 
     “Don’t worry,” Zeppe said. “Just the three of us.” 
     Maria nodded, clutching the girl as if someone might take her. “Yes, just the three of us.” 
     Zeppe turned and headed for the door. “I’ll wait outside.” 
     “Good night, Giuseppe.” 
     “Yeah, good night, Maria.” 
     As the door closed behind Zeppe, and Maria walked to the kitchen, Dominic made the sign of the cross, asking God for forgiveness. It was one thing to kill a man—but to take his baby and claim it as a gift from God might be pushing things too far. That was the kind of thing that could haunt a person in both lives. And what will Maria do if she finds out the truth? Even worse, what will this little girl do if she finds out?

If you’d like to follow Peter on his Partners In Crime tour, you can find where he’s going next.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have you used Google for research? What do you find most intriguing about books dealing with the Holocaust whether fact or fiction?

Sunday Salon: The Little House That Stood

Photo from Nassau Happening

Can you believe we have already arrived at the first Sunday Salon of March? With the way the weather has been lately, it’s hard to think it won’t be long until Spring.

Today as we relax and enjoy Sunday Salon, I have something a little different to share you with. Instead of telling you about an intriguing new book, I want to tell you about a charming DVD for youngsters that will be released this week. 

VeggieTales has a new title coming out, The Little House That Stood. Thanks to Hope and the great folks at Flyby Promotions/Propeller, I have a copy of this DVD to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the guidelines. Now make sure your favorite beverage is handy, find a comfortable chair and relax.

Veggie Tales: The Little House That Stood

This delightful DVD  teaches a lesson about making good choices through the parable of ’The Wise and Foolish Builders’ from Matthew 7 combined with fairy tales. It tells the story of three builders who used different supplies to build homes - hay, bricks and sticks - with only one building on a strong foundation. The story explains why a strong foundation is needed in daily living as well.

The classic tale of Humpty Dumpty is also retold in ‘The Good Egg of Gooseville.’ This story deals with neighbors helping neighbors and the fact that one person can’t solve everyone’s problems.

The DVD also features a silly new song, ‘Happy Tooth Day.’ It will have youngsters smiling and possibly even thinking about brushing more. It’s a catchy little tune that will remain with you long after the DVD ends. In addition, there are numerous other bonus features such as the history of Mother Goose, ‘Lend A Little Hand’ sing-along, a discussion guide, and much more.

VeggieTales: The Little House That Stood puts a new spin on some classic fairy tales and incorporates parables from the Bible. This 49-minute DVD will delight youngsters of all ages (including adults) as it brings vegetables to life, reinforces moral values, and provides countless moments of laughter. 
  
VeggieTales: The Little House That Stood, Big Idea, @2013, ASIN: B00AKB8PN8, 1 Disc, Run Time: 49 Minutes

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

For more on the VeggieTales and this new release coming Tuesday, March 5, visit the website and find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Now for the giveaway guidelines. To enter this giveaway, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win VeggieTales.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. The contest is open internationally. And, just so you know, I don’t share this information with anyone other than the publisher/promoter nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance to win the DVD copy of VeggieTales: The Little House That Stood is 8 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, March 10.

In case you’re not familiar with VeggieTales, here’s a cute trailer to watch that will give you a bit more insight into the DVD. Hope it makes you smile.



Thanks for stopping by today. What books have you read or maybe you have a seen a DVD you’d like to share.

Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs

Opening the pages of a Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mystery series feels like actually walking into the Indigo Tea Shop and experiencing the sights, sounds and mouth-watering aromas found within.  

Sweet Tea Revenge, the latest installment in the series, begins with a wedding that was never meant to be - and someone makes sure of that.

Theodosia Browning is serving as maid-of-honor for her friend, Delaine Dish, who is marrying Theo’s neighbor, Charleston attorney Dougan Granville. Despite terrible weather for June and a few other minor problems, the wedding is about to begin when the groom is a no-show.

Unfortunately for Theo, she finds him dead in his room just down the hall from the bride. At first it appears Dougan may have overdosed. But soon it’s discovered his death was no accident. Detective Burt Tidwell arrives and Delaine becomes a prime suspect. A short time later ghost hunters show up wanting to connect with the dearly departed since it’s rumored Ravencrest Inn, where the wedding was to be held, is haunted.

After a desperate plea from her friend, Theo begins to make a few inquires on her own. Theo has her hands full between running her business, the Indigo Tea Shop; searching for Dougan’s killer; assisting the ghost hunters; and trying not to be the killer’s next victim.

The cast of characters fans of the series have come to love return, along with a number of new and zany ones. The story flows quickly, pulling you in and holding you spellbound until the last drop of Sweet Tea Revenge.

The author combines mystery, suspense, friendship, and humor for a tantalizing cozy. The suspense will keep you guessing. Childs’ vivid descriptions will place you in the center of the action in historical Charleston with its beautiful scenery, alluring structures, and enchanting residents.

Sweet Tea Revenge is the 14th installment in the Tea Shop Mystery series, but can be read alone. However, to fully appreciate how Theo and her friends have developed and evolved since the series began the books should be read in order.

In addition, in the back of the book Childs has included delicious recipes, tea time tips, tea resources, and a sneak preview of her next Scrapbooking Mystery, Gilt Trip, coming soon.

You don’t have to like tea in order to enjoy Sweet Tea Revenge. Just have a thirst for intriguing mysteries and charming characters and this story will quench that sensation with ease.

Author Laura Childs’ website is www.laurachilds.com 
 
Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs, A Tea Shop Mystery, Berkley, @2013, ISBN: 978-0425252888, Hardcover, 336 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure - An ARC of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 
Thanks for stopping by. Hope everyone is having a safe, happy and good weather weekend. Have you read a cozy lately?

F.M. Meredith On Writing Multiple Series

One of the pleasures of blogging is welcoming authors to Thoughts in Progress on virtual book tours with their latest release. Today, I’m delighted to welcome author F.M. Meredith as she returns to talk about the newest novel in her Rocky Bluff P.D. Crime series, Dangerous Impulses.

F.M. (aka Marilyn Meredith) has graciously answered some questions about her writing for me. In addition, she has a most intriguing contest she’d like to tell you about.

Mason: You have two series (Rocky Bluff P.D. Crime and Tempe Crabtree mystery) ongoing. Do you write for both series at the same time? If so, how do you keep the characters and locations separate?

F. M. aka Marilyn: I don’t write for both series at the same time, but there is some overlapping. For instance, I’m promoting the latest in the RBPD series, Dangerous Impulses, right now. My next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery I’m reading to my critique group a chapter a week. Which means after I’ve read the chapter, I edit it and make necessary changes. I’m also in the process of writing a new RBPD. All the while I’m participating and promoting on Facebook and Twitter and some of the lists I’m on. Believe it or not, I do have a life aside from writing.

Keeping the characters straight is easy—it’s like putting on different hats. When I’m writing a RBPD novel, I think about the setting, the beach and include the smells, the fog and all the elements that go along with a small town police department. This series has many ongoing characters and the focus changes depending upon whose point-of-view I’m writing.

In the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, the main character is Tempe and the story is almost always told solely from her POV. When writing that series I think about where I live and the mountains, what time of year it is and how weather might affect what is going on in the story. Because Tempe is a resident deputy and mostly operates alone, the law enforcement element is different.

After saying all that, I have made mistakes. What I’ve done is called Tempe and Stacey (from the RBPD series) the wrong names. My critique group has caught the error several times. What these two women have in common is being female in male dominated careers and both are strong individuals. Other than that, they are very different in looks, ethnic backgrounds and personalities.

Mason: In writing your Rocky Bluff P.D. Crime series, do you have a schedule or plan as to who you will write about in each installment or do the characters decide as you finish the book?

F. M. aka Marilyn: I wish I were that organized. Though each book in the series is written as a stand-alone, in that the crime or crimes are solved by the end of the book, what is happening in the characters’ lives is ongoing. I think that is part of the reason I keep writing this series, because I want to find out what is going to happen next. I do need to keep track of the characters so I can continue whatever I started with each one. I have ideas about what I want to happen, but as you hinted, sometimes they do something that surprises me.

Mason: With Dangerous Impulse’s release, as you look back what was the biggest surprise that occurred in writing the story?

F. M. aka Marilyn: I introduced a new character, Lizette Gibbs, who played a far more important part in one of the story lines than I expected. I can’t really say what it is as it happens near the end.

Mason: How has the writing industry changed since you wrote the first installment in the Rocky Bluff P.D. Crime Series?

F. M. aka Marilyn: Oh, my, things have changed tremendously. The publisher that accepted the first book, Final Respects was an e-publisher—but at that time there were no e-readers, no easy way to download the book and it had to be read on the computer. (There was no Amazon at that time either—shows how long I’ve been at this.)

I’ve had three other publishers for this series since that time and now Oak Tree Press has republished them all in paper and e-books.

Print-on-demand technology is another big change. This has helped small presses tremendously. The ability to only print the number of books needed saves lots of money for the publisher.

And one more biggie is the promotion side of publishing. This chore rests mostly on the author’s shoulders and it is very demanding if you want readers to know about your books.

That’s barely hitting the surface of what all has been going on.

Mason: What message, if any would you like readers to take away from reading your books?

F. M. aka Marilyn: In this series, I wanted to show the personal lives of my police officer characters and how the job affects the families and what is happening at home affects the job. I have relatives and many friends in law enforcement and I wanted to write about what I’ve observed.
 
Mason: What can readers look forward to next from you?

F. M. aka Marilyn: Speaking as the author of the Deputy Crabtree series, Marilyn Meredith: Spirit Shapes is next.

Now a bit about Dangerous Impulses:
    An attractive new-hire captivates Officer Gordon Butler, Officer Felix Zachary’s wife Wendy is befuddled by her new baby, Ryan and Barbara Strickland receive unsettling news about her pregnancy, while the bloody murder of a mother and her son and an unidentified drug that sickens teenaged partiers jolts the Rocky Bluff P.D.

The Contest:
The person who comments on the most blog posts on this tour may have a character named after him or her in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel or choose a book from the previous titles in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series in either paper or for Kindle.

Rocky Bluff P.D. Series:
Though each book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series is written as a stand-alone, I know there are people who like to read a series in order. From the beginning to the end:

Final Respects
Bad Tidings
Fringe Benefits
Smell of Death
No Sanctuary
An Axe to Grind
Angel Lost
No Bells
Dangerous Impulses

F.M., thanks so much for answering these questions and giving us a look at what goes on behind the series. The writing industry has definitely made some changes over the last few years and it seems the changes are coming faster and faster.

Now let me tell you a bit more about F. M. She is also known as Marilyn Meredith, the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. She first became interested in writing about law enforcement when she lived in a neighborhood filled with police officers and their families. The interest was fanned when her daughter married a police officer and the tradition has continued with a grandson and grandson-in-law who are deputies. 

Marilyn also serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association, and has many friends in different law enforcement fields. For twenty plus years, she and her husband lived in a small beach community located in Southern California much like the fictional Rocky Bluff. She is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Epic, and Mystery Writers of America.

For more on F.M. (aka Marilyn) and her writing, visit her webpage at http://fictionforyou.com/ and her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/. She is also on Facebook and Twitter as MarilynMeredith

Tomorrow, you can find Marilyn at http://blog.marjamcgraw.com/xz

Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Remember Marilyn’s contest. What are your thoughts on the writing industry and the changes you’ve seen as either a writer or a reader?