Archive for the '25 Years Ago Today' Category

Vote on Your Favorite Title & Receive a Copy of New E-Book

I’m working on a new e-book and I need your help! For the first time ever, I’m stuck on a title, probably because this book is quite different from anything I’ve published before. I’m going to list some title ideas below. Please stop by and leave a comment on which ones you like and/or don’t like. As a thank you, if you leave your email address, I will send you a free copy of the book in July after it is released. I’ll send a code to download it in the format of your choice at Smashwords, where you can choose a PDF format or formats compatible with your Kindle, Nook, Sony, phone, or other device.

First, a few background details. I’m actually the editor rather than the writer, and the book will be a tie-in to my suspenseful novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. Over the past few years, over 50 authors have visited my blog and written essays answering the question, “What were you doing 25 years ago?” Their responses were fascinating, and I’m in the process of contacting all the authors and compiling the blog posts into an e-book. Readers who enjoy blogs or magazines will love the variety of essays from this talented group of authors whose credits include NY Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, Amazon bestselling, and winners and nominees of major awards. The essays are poignant, touching, humorous, and everything in between, looking back on school days, family, jobs, romance, hardships, their writing journey, and more. As an extra treat, some fictional characters also stopped by to share what they were doing 25 years ago!

Here are some title ideas in no particular order. Please share your feedback below, and don’t forget your email address if you’d like a free copy of the final result this summer.

Small Moments in Time: Reflections of 25 Years Ago Today
What Were YOU Doing 25 Years Ago Today?
25 Years in the Rear View Mirror
9,125 Days Down Memory Lane: 25 Years Ago Today
9,000 Days Down Memory Lane: 25 Years Ago Today
25 Years Down Memory Lane
Here are new ones that have been suggested via emails:
Twenty-Five and Counting: Fifty Authors Look Back
Twenty-Five and Counting: Fifty Authors Remember

25 Years in the Rear View Mirror: 50 Authors Look Back
Twenty-Five in the Rear View Mirror: 50 Authors Look Back
One Score and Five: 25 Years Ago Today
Twenty-Five Year Remembrances

Just by way of explanation, 9,125 days equals 25 years without taking into account Leap Year. However, I don’t know whether that number might be too hard for people to remember if they’re searching a site such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble for the book, so as an alternative title, I rounded off the number to 9,000. If I used either of those titles, I’d explain more about that number in the introduction.

So, let me know which one is your favorite, and if any other ideas occur to you, I’m very open to suggestions! If anyone suggests a new title and I use it, I’d be happy to include your name in the acknowledgements.

Recent Tornadoes and the Red Cross Inspire 25 Years Ago Today Column

I’d like to welcome Red Tash to my blog today. Red is a journalist-turned-author from Southern Indiana. She is the author of the dark fantasy novel This Brilliant Darkness, and she invites you to keep up with her latest news at http://RedTash.com.

25 Years Ago Today

The snow is deep in Southern Indiana this morning, just as it was twenty-five years ago. It always snows in March, in Indiana. I’ll be 60+ degrees later this week. Count on it.

Count on unpredictability. Count on change.

Twenty-five years ago, I was fourteen, and had just lost my father to a heart attack. It was sudden, devastating, and it changed the course of my life forever. Left behind with a troubled and tumultuous mother, I soon found myself alternately in turn in a convent, a squad car, a car accident, and running for our lives from an abusive step-father, in the aftermath of Dad’s death. What had once been the routine and security of my everyday life was shot like a confetti cannon into a hurricane.

I learned to count on unpredictability. To count on change. I learned that nothing is permanent.

The death of one man doesn’t make the news, usually, but community-wide tragedies do. I’m sure you’ve heard about the most recent event in my area: on Friday, a string of F4/F5 tornados swept through. Today, I see friends picking up the pieces of their lives in nearby Henryville, and I know they’ve got a long journey ahead of them. When all the debris from the tornado is long since cleared, when the homes and the school are rebuilt, the people of Henryville will still be parsing a “new normal.”

There are those among the survivors who will put this behind them rapidly, and there are those who will look back twenty-five years from now, and say they lost everything. Don’t kid yourself. They will accumulate new possessions, but they’ll spend years trying to wrest control of lives that have been violently blown off-course.

It would not surprise me if twenty-five years later, a generation of writers from Henryville emerges. Where were you when? What happened? Where did you go? There are those among them who are discovering a gift, right this very second—and they won’t realize it until years have passed.

I’m truly sorry for what they’re going through, but I admit, someday I’ll look forward to reading their stories.

There are worse things in life than surviving a tragedy. I’ve found that if you’re focusing on the right direction, you can weather just about any storm. Count on that.

Count on change.

Count on story, and its healing power. I have found it is the only constant in a life filled with surprises.

Be strong, Henryville. We’re counting on you.

To donate to the Red Cross, which was set up to help Henryville survivors nearly immediately following the storm, please click here: http://www.redcross.org/

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is an occasional feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

25 Years Ago Today: Suburban Fantasy Author Sarah E. Glenn

I’d like to welcome Sarah E. Glenn, the talented author of All This and Family, Too, a novel that fits the categories of Gay and Lesbian, Suburban Fantasy, and Vampire Comedy. Sarah has a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Kentucky. She’s held a number of entirely unrelated jobs since that time: art intern at the billboard company, NCIC operator for the Lexington Police Department, and teaching assistant for medical terminology. She likes to write mystery and horror stories, especially when they include a sidecar of funny.

Here is what Sarah was doing 25 years ago.

SARAH: 25 years ago, I worked as an NCIC operator and Reports Desk staff for the Lexington-Fayette County Police Department. During that time, I saw true-life tragedies and stories that would have given me a promising career as a stand-up comedienne. I also discovered something that really scares police:
Bats.
Our building was old and began its life as a department store. The city decided to make some improvements on the lower floors, and several ceiling tiles in our area were left open. One evening, a bat swooped down on the Reports Desk.
One moment, I had a counter full of officers needing help. The next… no one. They even slammed the door behind them, leaving me and my co-worker with the bat.

You know that old wives’ tale about bats in your hair? I think it sprang up because they buzz people. They zoom close, then veer off. We crouched at our desks, ducking as our little friend caromed off the supports.
I thought about calling to the back (911), but what good would that have done? I’d had police in the room moments ago!
One lone officer, stationed with us to take reports over the phone, was busy with a caller when the bat started buzzing him. He excused himself, put the phone on hold, and grabbed his nightstick. WHACK! Bat knocked out of the air. STOMP! Dead bat.
He turned to us: “I need to file a Use of Deadly Force report…”

Visit Sarah on her web site and blog.

Check out All This and Family, Too on Amazon. It tells the story of a vampire who moves into a gated community and discovers the true meaning of horror. Will she survive the experience with the mixed blessing of a loving but dysfunctional family?

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is an occasional feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

25 Years Ago Today: Mystery/Thriller Author Douglas Corleone

I’d like to welcome Douglas Corleone, the author of the Kevin Corvelli mystery series published by St. Martin’s Minotaur. His debut novel One Man’s Paradise won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. A former New York City criminal defense attorney, Doug now lives in the Hawaiian Islands where he writes full-time. Night on Fire is his second novel.

Doug’s character Jake Harper from the book Night on Fire is answering the question: What were you doing 25 years ago?

Jake: Twenty-five years ago today? Let’s see. I was a young buck of 42. In my prime, if you could call it that. I was working as an attorney in Houston, Texas. Defending capital murder cases, which in Harris County meant holding clients’ hands on their way to the gas chamber. Now they use lethal injection – more humane, or so they say.

Nowadays, prosecutors stand around the courthouse hallways, joking about the next inductees into the ‘Silver Needle Society.’ But back in 1986, my clients were getting the gas. Looking at my calendar, I see that I was indeed attending the execution of one of my clients twenty-five years ago today. A Mr. Samuel Lane.

I remember it now clear as day, poor ol’ Sammy being strapped into that chair in an airtight room. Sitting there, twitching, as sixteen one-ounce pellets of cyanide were dropped in a pan of sulfuric acid at his feet. Sammy thrashed a bit, his face turned purple. Took a good ten minutes for him to die. I don’t remember the facts of his case, of course. Don’t remember the facts of many of my cases from back then. But I remember my clients. I remember them living and I remember them dying. In those days, I used to have to drink myself to sleep at night. Still do, most nights.

You can read more Doug and his books on his web site.

In the meantime, check out Night on Fire on Amazon. Hotshot Honolulu defense attorney Kevin Corvelli narrowly escapes a deadly arson fire at a popular Hawaiian beach resort, only to land the prime suspect – a stunning but troubled young newlywed – as a client. If you missed it, you can also read Kevin’s Sink or Swim interview here.

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is a regular feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

Find the Clue in Twenty-Five Years Ago Today Excerpt 3

This is the third and final in a series of excerpts from my mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, which has been creating quite a buzz on Amazon the past several weeks. My character Kris Langley, an editorial assistant for a small daily newspaper, compiles the 25 and 50 Years Ago Today column as one of her job responsibilities. It’s a job that I once held myself, many years ago when I began my writing career, and combing through the microfilm was a tedious task. Kris stumbles across a 25-year-old murder while researching her column, so her 25 Years Ago Today tasks are what set the whole story into motion.

Since Kris and I know this, ahem, drudgery, so well, I thought it would be fun to start each chapter in the book with one of her 25 Years Ago Today snippets. I’ve included five of them below, but there’s a little twist. (If you’ve read my books, you know that I like twists.) One of these innocent-sounding snippets provides a clue to the mystery and there is one more hidden in the book.

25 Years Ago Today: Jennifer McGreggor wins the speech contest sponsored by the Fremont Women of Today.

25 Years Ago Today: Mr. and Mrs. George R. Mann of Fremont are honored with a surprise party for their 35th wedding anniversary.

25 Years Ago Today: Elizabeth Maxwell of Warren, a graduate of the St. Agnes School of Nursing, passes her state board exams.

25 Years Ago Today: A proposal is made to build a town swimming pool in Fremont.

25 Years Ago Today: Fremont High School History Club member Patricia Addison wins a state award for her essay on Greek Mythology.

I won’t tell you which one is the clue – you’ll have to read the book to find out! For a full selection of online retailers, visit the Store. And if you want to check out the other excerpts, here they are:

My Favorite Scene
Spice Up Your Night With A Little Romance
Chapter One

Spice Up Your Night With a Little Romance from Twenty-Five Years Ago Today: Excerpt 2

This is the second in a series of excerpts from my mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. Amazon rankings change frequently, but as of this writing, the book is #318 Paid in Kindle Store. It is also #2 in Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Historical; #12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Romantic Suspense; and #13 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense. It also just made the Kindle Movers & Shakers List. I’ve been posting some excerpts to help get the word out about the book and hopefully bring it even further up the Amazon bestseller lists. You can read the first excerpt here.

This scene is between main character Kris Langley and the love interest in the book, Eric Soares. Kris is investigating the unsolved 25-year-old murder of Eric’s aunt, Diana Ferguson, a bar waitress and talented artist who died when was he was a child. Kris and Eric have a strong attraction.

Kris changed into a pair of his old sweats and wandered back to the living room. Wind rattled the windows, its shriek drowning out the television. She folded her arms around the sweatshirt, wishing the baggy pants fit better. She’d hitched them up as high as they’d go.

Eric handed her a pillow, his face inches away. “I wanted to apologize for that kiss the other day. I kind of sprung that on you.”

Her heartbeat rocketed in her chest. “You don’t have to apologize. I liked it.”

“Enough for another one?”

“Maybe. It was so long ago, I don’t remember.”

His mere presence overwhelmed her, made words fly out of her mouth. He turned her chin toward him and grazed his lips to hers. Her knees wobbly, she melted into his embrace.

They wound up against the wall, breathing heavy, clothing disheveled. Eric stepped back and cupped her waist. She knew he was waiting for a sign.

Kris straightened her sweatshirt and tucked a hair strand behind her ear. She had to end this before they made a mistake. “Good night,” she said with great effort.

If Eric was disappointed, he didn’t show it. She appreciated him even more.

“Good night,” he said. “If you need anything, I’ll be in the other room.”

“Thanks.”

He kissed her again and retreated down the short hallway to his bedroom. Kris stood frozen. She shouldn’t have come here. She wasn’t who Eric thought. She wasn’t who Nicole had thought, either. Kris found a movie on cable, preparing herself for a restless night.

***
Have you seen the book trailer which features Kris and Eric? (at least how I envisioned them!) Check it out below.

Read a Scene from My Mystery Novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today: Excerpt 1

My mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today is making its way onto the Amazon bestseller lists this week and I thought this would be a good time to share some excerpts from the book, which is available in gift quality trade paperback and in multiple bargain ebook editions. Here is one of my favorite scenes below:

Cheryl came up behind Kris. Her voice sounded sad and tired. “Please don’t tell my mother too much, even if you’re making progress. I don’t want to raise her hopes.”

Kris glanced back at Irene, who hunched on the couch, turning the locket over in her hand. “I’ll be careful with what I say. My aunt would’ve been eager, too.”
“How was your cousin killed?”
“She was strangled, kidnapped by a neighbor while walking alone. We were twelve.”

Cheryl heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry. I remember reading about that. It happened locally, didn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I know you’re a terrific writer. I couldn’t have been happier with the business story. I’m just concerned about my mother.”
“I understand,” Kris said. “I won’t let you down.”

She trudged out to her car and brushed off her windshield. She waited behind the steering wheel as the defroster warmed the interior. Not knowing Diana’s whereabouts must have tormented Irene. Kris’s family had agonized over Nicole’s disappearance. As one day blended into the next, Nicole had seemed further and further away.

Finding her was worse.
Kris had learned a new phrase that May, a litany that surged back into her mind, drumming to the beat of the windshield wipers. If only.

If only it hadn’t rained the afternoon Nicole had disappeared.
If only she hadn’t climbed into the car with Randolph Coltraine.
If only Aunt Susan had been home when Nicole called for a ride.

Kris swallowed the metallic taste in her mouth. If only I didn’t trick her.
She chose the long route home, driving fast. She hadn’t driven in New York and had forgotten the thrill of a climbing speedometer. Her first week back, she’d landed a speeding ticket.

Kris skidded onto the Fremont State College campus, her tires kicking up tufts of snow. She passed dorms, tennis courts and the library before parking in front of the deserted baseball field. White trees cast shapeless shadows across the broad expanse of snow.
A chunk of ice slid off the roof, hitting the front window. Kris jumped, her hand to her heart.

“No one’s out there,” she murmured, gazing into the woods. “Not now.”
But once.

Beyond those trees, Diana had lain dead.
Police had crowded the scene, their search over.
Middle-aged reporter Dex Wagner had scribbled in his notebook.
Twenty-five years ago today.

12 of the Most Well-Known Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology

Since my adult mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today features a subplot revolving around Greek Mythology, I was thrilled when talented writer Alexis Bonari offered to write a guest post about the most well-known Greek gods and goddesses. Many of the below gods are mentioned in my book and I can attest that this article is a wonderful primer about “Who’s Who” on Mount Olympus. Enjoy the article below. Interspersed with the text, you’ll also find some images from the Twenty-Five Years Ago Today book trailer.

Although the worshipping of Greek Gods and Goddesses was more common thousands of years ago, the fascination of Greek Mythology is still popular in today’s culture. In ancient Greek Mythology the Greek Gods were responsible for both creating and ruling the world, and not only did each God and Goddess come with their own name, they also had their own characteristic and purpose as well.

Alexis Bonari

Here is a list of the 12 most well-known Greek Gods and Goddesses in ancient Greek mythology:

1. Zeus (King of the Gods)
Zeus was considered to be the most powerful of all of the Gods in Greek mythology. Although his sole purpose was to control the weather, he was also known to hold power over the sky and was the God to look to as “the arbiter of justice.”

2. Hera (Goddess of love and heaven)
Hera is historically known as being the wife of Zeus, however she was also responsible for not only the heavens and the earth, but also nearly every aspect of existence as well, such as the seasons and the weather.

3. Poseidon (God of the sea)
Poseidon typically had a negative connotation in Greek mythology because he was always associated with raping women or harshly punishing his enemies, however he was also responsible for making the land fertile and helping sailors who were lost at sea.

4. Demeter (Goddess of the bountiful harvest and the nurturing spirit)
Demeter was considered to be the most generous of the Goddesses, and was known for her kind service of giving the gift of harvest and making the soil fertile.

5. Ares (God of war)
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera, and was commonly associated with civil order and manly courage.

6. Hermes (God of the roads)
Hermes was another son of Zeus and usually served as his personal assistant and even messenger, and was also known for not only being an excellent communicator but also being very persuasive as a negotiator as well.

7. Hephaestus (God of fire)
Hephaestus was another son of Hera and Zeus, but was known as being the “lame God” because he was born a cripple. (Legend has it that Hera threw him from Mount Olympus when he was born and fell for nine days before landing in the ocean).

8. Aphrodite (Goddess of love and beauty)
Aphrodite is often depicted in art as a perfect, eternally young woman, and was also known as being very vain because of her sexual attractiveness.

9. Athena (Goddess of wisdom)
Athena is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, and thanks to her kind and modest character she was loved by nearly everyone. She was also known for being a peacemaker as well as being watchful, intelligent, and rational.

10. Apollo (God of music)
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and although he was known as being intellectual and prophetic he is also known as representing the sun (even though he is not originally a sun god).

11. Artemis (Goddess of hunting)
Not only was Artemis considered to be the goddess of hunting, wilderness and wild animals, she was also the goddess of childbirth and was known for protecting young girls before they became old enough to marry. (Similarly Apollon, her twin brother, was known to be the protector of young boys)

12. Hestia (Goddess of home and hearth)
Although Hestia is considered to be the first born of the Olympian gods, she is also often called the last born because legend has it that her father swallowed all of his children and then “regurgitated” them in reverse order. Hestia had originally asked Zeus to be the goddess of the hearth, and was known for keeping Mount Olympus hearth lit at all times.

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and researcher for College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching scholarship thank you letters and writing about saving money for college. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

25 Years Ago Today & Giveaway: Book Marketing Guru Lillian Brummet

Today we have Lillian Brummet joining us with an inspiring story about writing against all odds. Lillian is an award-winning author, book marketing guru, owner of the award winning Brummet’s Conscious Blog, and both the host and executive producer of the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show. Lillian and her husband Dave are the authors of Purple Snowflake Marketing, a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writers. Lillian says that with the proper knowledge, authors can develop the ability to market their books based on their budget limitations and their personal strengths. The appendix section offers more than 900 direct links to places where writers can network or query for promotion opportunities.

Lillian will be giving away a copy of Jump Start for Writers, a 20 page e-book which offers introductory information on how to prepare for a book’s release. Topics include accelerated publicity efforts, working with other writers, time management skills, a list of common new writer questions, and recommended resources. Deadline for the giveaway is April 16 at 11:59 EST. To enter, leave a comment with your email address below. Here is what Lillian was doing 25 years ago:

LILLIAN: At 16, I had already been on my own for three years and was still shaken from the experiences in taking one of my stepfathers to court. I was living with a beautiful and daring boy (think Tom Cruise, but blonde) – my first love. We met in the park where my high school was located through a mutual friend. She saw the sparks and pushed us together, and together we stayed for three tumultuous years. I clung to his love like nothing else – Somebody Loved Me!

Then, one day I just realized this wasn’t a healthy relationship and that the only way to go about this new life was to be alone, with myself, for a while – that “while” ended up being a year. I began to see that there was a way to let go of the pain of my childhood, the shame and self-loathing from the abuse and neglect I experienced.

Self-help books became my life-blood – I read every free book I could find, from private or library shelves, trying to find a way out of the pain and confusion. Just when I began feeling a bit lonely for a relationship, Dave came into my life – he was the drummer for a house-band at night and a supervisor of a warehouse at night, while I was juggling school and work – so the first couple years of our dating was kind of like high-fiving at the door. (She laughs)

Today I have the honor of living a life that makes a difference – that helps accelerate this conscious living movement we are seeing grow and spread across the planet. The joy this brings me is indescribable – but when my feet hit the floor in the morning, I’m eager to head to my office.

Thank you for joining us, Lillian! For more information on Lillian, visit her web site: www.brummet.ca or drop by her daily blog: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com. There you can learn about titles including Purple Snowflake Marketing – How to Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd; Trash Talk, where readers will learn how they can impact the planet; and Towards Understanding, a collection of 120 poems on society, the environment and overcoming trauma. You can also purchase the books at her store.

Writers, remember to leave a comment and your email address to enter for the ebook copy of Jump Start for Writers.

25 Years Ago Today: Win A Kindle Download Or Book From Suspense Author Ellis Vidler

I’d like to welcome Ellis Vidler to my blog today. Along with Jim Christopher, Ellis is the co-author of The Peeper, available on Amazon. Upon retiring from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Jim Christopher turned his energies to writing what he knows best—crime. Then he met Ellis Vidler, a published author, and they began collaborating on a suspense novel. “After forty years of police reports, I like the freedom of fiction. You create characters, plan the crime, and then go about solving it.” Ellis is also the author of Haunting Refrain, published by Silver Dagger.

Ellis is giving away a gifted Kindle download or print copy of The Peeper to one lucky winner. (winner’s choice) To enter, leave a comment below with your email address by Saturday, Feb. 26, at 11:59 p.m., EST. Specify which you would prefer, Kindle download or print book.

Here’s an interview between Ellis and the cop from The Peeper, Sam Fullerton, set 25 years ago…

February 1986. Ronald Reagan is president, Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters has just been released, and Regina is capturing hearts with “Baby Love.” Halley’s Comet is streaking across the sky like an omen. I hope it means good things are coming. I’m immersed in my first creative writing course since college. And a character named Sam Fullerton is taking shape in my head.

EV: So you’re a free agent, fresh out of the Marine Corps. What are your plans, Sam?
SF: I don’t know yet. I’m thinking about becoming a cop.

EV: Why? I’ve read that law enforcement consists of long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Does that appeal to you?
SF: No, ma’am, but I believe in the rule of law and defending people. Old fashioned maybe, but that’s the way I see it. Someone has to stand up for the victims.

EV (closing eyes, hand to forehead): Oh, dear. I see another knight in shining armor.
SF: What? Are you some kind of fortune teller?

EV (eyes still closed): Uh-oh. The armor begins to tarnish, dark thoughts bend the knight. It is he who needs saving . . .
SF: Ma’am, are you all right?

EV: Yes, don’t worry. I have these moments when the future opens to me. Open yourself to people who care. Twenty-five years from now, you’re going to need them.

You can find out more about The Peeper on the following web sites:
http://www.ellisvidler.com
http://theunpredictablemuse.blogspot.com

Check out The Peeper on Amazon. Three damaged souls face weakness and murder, love and redemption on a small campus. Elliott, the lonely young man who makes “friends” through dorm windows. Sam, the world-weary cop who has to overcome his past, and Kay, the rookie, who’s finding her way in a harsh world.

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is a regular feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...