Tag: #NewRelease

Which Crayon Am I? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 15, 2023

People are like a box of crayons, which crayon would you say that you are?

You know that crayon stuck in the back row? The one that’s cracked, but is still wrapped in paper? There are days that I feel like that crayon. Damaged, but useable.

That crayon can be hard to get out of the box, and is rarely gets pulled out. You may have to empty the entire box to get to it. 

 

 

The point may be dull but once in a while, you think it’s your favorite color. Until another color distracts you and you stick it back in the box. There it stays until you need it again. That’s me.

And you? Which crayon are you? Tell me in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the other authors by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

Don’t forget, The Rise of Jake Hennessey releases May 17th!

May 15, 2023

People are like a box of crayons, which crayon would you say that you are?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Something to Eat, Drink, and Listen To #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 8, 2023

How do you get ready for a long writing session?

I thought this would be an easy question to answer until I stopped to think about it, and how long it’s been since I had a really long writing session. I’ve lost my focus. All the changes I’ve gone through in the last year have messed with my internal equilibrium. Even writing these blog posts takes me forever as I start, get distracted, and have to come back to them.

My current distractions? Too many to list, but they include identifying the flowers and birds in my yard. Spotted what I think was an Eastern meadowlark today, but it flew away before I got a good look at it. And my yard is filled with pinkish-white flowers that I think are cuckoo flowers. I can’t find much information about them in my locale, so I’m not sure. The plant identifier sites barely mention the possibility of them in my area.



I’m also getting ready for the release of The Rise of Jake Hennessey and having fun creating memes, spending time on free photo sites and manipulating them in Canva. Have you seen one of them on social media? Here’s the latest.

 

Okay, back to business. After I check my email. All three of them.  And check the view out my window as the daylight fades. Where were we?

Oh yeah, how do I settle in for a long writing session? First, I have to refill my water bottle. Water is my choice of beverage, although it gets boring. Then, I need to choose a snack. Reese’s Pieces are a good option, but I have to limit my intake. Cheese cubes are a healthy alternative. Next, I put on my headphones and pick an artist or playlist. John Denver remains a top choice, along with classic rock. Something I’ve heard enough that I don’t have to concentrate on the words but can only half-listen to without feeling like I’m missing anything. It  helps block the urge to hop on the internet and browse. Although I’ve been listening to 80’s music as a background for my WIP and getting distracted because I’m discovering artists I didn’t pay attention to back when the music was popular.

Where was I? How about the other authors on this loop? How do they get ready for a long writing session? Find out by following the links below. 

Until next time, please stay safe.

May 8, 2023

How do you get ready for a long writing session?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Teaching A Lesson in Fiction #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

May 1, 2023

Does every book have to have a moral?

Early in the story, I had a beta reader ask me what the moral of my coming-soon ‘The Rise of Jake Hennessey’ was. I admit, I had to stop and think about it. Did the story have one? I didn’t plan on it. All I set out to do was bring the story of Jake, Eli, and Harmony to a satisfying conclusion. There’s no moral. I wrote it for entertainment only.

Could I stretch things to find a moral? I can find lots of platitudes – right over wrong, love will find a way, crime doesn’t pay — although this is Jake we are dealing with, so the last one doesn’t count. But a moral?

But Jake is an anomaly. A good man with an illegal hobby. Let’s talk about some of my other books. Do they have morals?

Not on purpose. Again, I can come up with lots of platitudes. Love conquers all. Everybody needs someone. He who laughs last, laughs best. But a moral?

Again, I am writing for entertainment. The Free Wolves have some underlying themes that are ‘heavier,’ but they aren’t the major thrust of the stories. The Harmony Duprie books are more lighthearted. They are mysteries, but there isn’t a murder in every book. I do like breaking rules. I guess that’s why Jake and I get along.

So no, I don’t believe every book has to have a moral. What about our other authors? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

(if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the cover of The Rise of Jake Hennessey, releasing on May 17th.

 

May 1, 2023

Does every book have to have a moral?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Jake is Back! Cover Reveal

  By Uncategorized

Retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for Jake Hennessey.

For 22 years, semi-retired jewel thief Jake Hennessey honored his promise to stay away from Harmony Duprie. He has no plans to change that… until Special Agent Doan Houck saunters into Jake’s bar, claiming Harmony’s life is in danger.

She’s not the only one in jeopardy. Jake is run over by a motorcycle and is the target of a drive-by shooting. He doesn’t know who to trust. Not the feds Not the local cops.

Not even Harmony.

But Jake will do anything to protect his ex-lover. Even if it means matching wits with an FBI agent, revealing old secrets, or ending up in prison. Again.

If it comes down to saving his life or Harmony’s, there is no choice at all.

This book has been a long time in the making. Between retiring and moving, Jake had to be patient with me while I ignored him as I took care of my life. He deserved my full attention as he told me his story. It didn’t go as I expected, but it went the way it needed to. (Jake working with the FBI? Who would have expected that?) I believe that the Jake books bring a additional richness to the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. With this book completed, I finally am able to move on to something new.

And here’s the cover, thanks to K.M. Guth

The release date for the Rise of Jake Hennessey is May 17th.

New Release

  By Uncategorized

 

For 22 years, semi-retired jewel thief Jake Hennessey honored his promise to stay away from Harmony Duprie. He has no plans to change that… until Special Agent Doan Houck saunters into Jake’s bar, claiming Harmony’s life is in danger.

She’s not the only one in jeopardy. Jake is run over by a motorcycle and is the target of a drive-by shooting. He doesn’t know who to trust. Not the feds Not the local cops.

Not even Harmony.

But Jake will do anything to protect his ex-lover. Even if it means matching wits with an FBI agent, revealing old secrets, or ending up in prison. Again.

If it comes down to saving his life or Harmony’s, there is no choice at all.

 

Welcome to The Rise of Jake Hennessey

  By Uncategorized

I’ve finally decided on a release date for the last book in the Harmony Duprie world. Unless fate interferes, The Rise of Jake Hennessey will be released on May 17th.

Book Description: 

For 22 years, semi-retired jewel thief Jake Hennessey honored his promise to stay away from Harmony Duprie. He has no plans to change that… until Special Agent Doan Houck saunters into Jake’s bar, claiming Harmony’s life is in danger.

She’s not the only one in jeopardy. Jake is run over by a motorcycle and is the target of a drive-by shooting. He doesn’t know who to trust. Not the feds Not the local cops.

Not even Harmony.

But Jake will do anything to protect his ex-lover. Even if it means matching wits with an FBI agent, revealing old secrets, or ending up in prison. Again.

If it comes down to saving his life or Harmony’s, there is no choice at all.

Watch this space for the cover reveal, coming soon.


All The Genres And I Have To Pick One? #OpenBook Blog hop

  By Open Book

April 11, 2022

What is your favorite genre to read/watch (movies/tv)? Any book recommendations?

We’ve had this discussion before. But for those of you who don’t follow this blog, I’ll tell you now. I don’t watch TV, and I don’t remember that last movie I watched, and that was a couple of years ago. It might have been one of the Star Wars movies. Don’t worry, I won’t review it. Let’s just say it wasn’t one of my favorites. 

I enjoy a good sci-fi movie, although I won’t claim it as my favorite genres. In books, that honor goes to the sword and sorcery genre, (which used to be part of science fiction!) especially with female main characters. That may be where I learned my love of strong women characters who can hold their own and aren’t dependent on men as protectors. The Mercedes Lackey “Vows and Honor” series is an example.

But truthfully, I have a weakness for a well-written book of any genre, everything from a good romance to an engaging biography. I’ve even read Stephen Hawking, although that was a bit of a struggle. However, my definition of well-written has gotten more stringent over the years. That’s made it harder to find books I really love. Which is sad, really.

I considered skipping the next part of the question – any recommendations? – because the temptation is too great. But heck, I’ll do it, anyway.

You know I have a new book out, right? The Fall of Jake Hennessey. If you haven’t read it yet, you should pick up a copy. It features Jake Hennessey, the ‘bad boy’ of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, at his best- and his worst. You can check it out HERE

Sales pitch over. Let’s go check out what the other authors’ favorite genres are. Just check out the links below. And, until next time we get together, please stay safe!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

April 11, 2022

What is your favorite genre to read/watch (movies/tv)? Any book recommendations?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

The Fall of Jake Hennessey #NewReleases #Suspense

  By Uncategorized

This isn’t the kind of Harmony Duprie story you are used to – this is pure Jake Hennessey at his best – and his worst – in his own words and his point of view.

Tagline: Jake Hennessey is always on top of his game, anticipating the next big play…until Harmony Duprie changes everything.

I didn’t expect to write this book. Four or five years ago, I’d tried to write a short story from Jake’s point of view, but he wouldn’t talk to me. When I wrote “The End” after finishing The Ranger’s Dog Tags, I thought I was done with Harmony Duprie and her friends. But as I was doing research for a story featuring a female PI in Pittsburgh in the 1980s, Jake intruded. This book is the result.

Description: Jake Hennessey deals in selling fine jewelry of an illegal nature. The thrill of getting away with it is his addiction. When he hears a rumor about a rare old book in the personal collection of a small-town librarian, he gets the urge to try a new game.

After all, even jewel thieves get bored.

But the librarian, Harmony Duprie, isn’t what he expected and the challenge becomes serious business.

In order to win, Jake’s going to have to play by a new set of rules—and make them up as he goes along—because this time, he’s playing for the rest of his life.

Here’s a short excerpt:

The Bargen house was simple to break into. It was well-maintained, but Jake knew the tricks. The windows were the easiest point of entry once the family left to go to a concert. With the police busy controlling the crowds, the neighborhoods were unguarded.

The locked doors would be easy to pick, but that left behind traces a good cop would find. The first window Jake tried was firmly latched, and he didn’t want to break a window if he didn’t need to. But they’d left the kitchen window open a crack. He had to go through at an angle to get his shoulders through the narrow opening and use his arms to pull the rest of his body past the sink and onto the floor.

He waited a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. Older people favored nightlights throughout their house. They gave him all the light he needed to work. There hadn’t been time to scope out the interior, so he crept from room to room to find the main bedroom.

The door stood open, but he slipped on the latex gloves he’d swiped from the motel before he entered. If he got lucky, the case and the brooch would be sitting on top of the dresser. He hoped Mrs. Bargen hadn’t worn it. But the cluttered tray held no jewelry box.

He worked quickly, opening and closing each drawer, not finding what he was looking for. The next place to check was the closet. He turned on the light and closed the door behind him. And hit paydirt.

The Fall of Jake Hennessey is available at the retailers below, and will soon be available with Nook Press, I hope you’ll pick up a copy today. If you enjoy it, please  leave a review, and thank you!

Amazon

Kobo

Apple

Books2Read

Staring Into The Not-So-Distant Past #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

March 28, 2022

Where were you at 21? How does that reflect in your writing today?

At the age of 21? Really? That was several lifetimes ago! You expect me to remember that? Certainly, my life wasn’t typical for the age. Especially as I spent much of that year pregnant. I wasn’t a newlywed, (We got married young…I was only 19!) but I think we were still in our long-lasting honeymoon stage. Luckily, I had an easy pregnancy and had the time and energy to write poetry and and do lots of reading.

But none of my main characters have had children. The stories and the characters haven’t called for it. Plus, they’ve all been older than 21, so they are more mature and settled into their personalities than most 21-year olds.

But that doesn’t mean that year isn’t reflected in my writing. I learned a lot about love that year. Romantic love, love for a child, love of myself. Although my stories are mostly action, adventure, suspense and mystery, (and now crime!) they all have a romantic element.

For example, here’s a short snippet from my about-to-be-released book, The Fall of Jake Hennessey:

Sarah rushed out of the kitchen, phone in hand. Jake followed her but went upstairs to check out the rest of the three-story house. The rooms were small, and he wondered if he’d be able to tear out walls to make them bigger. As he started up the narrow stairs to the third floor, Sarah’s voice floated up to him.

“What are you doing with him, Harmony?”

“He asked me to come along.”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”

“He’s good looking, smart, and treats me like I’m special. Every guy I’ve ever dated in Oak Grove acts as if they’re doing me a favor by taking me out. They’re looking for a 1950s housewife. Jake talks to me and actually listens to what I have to say.”

Jake didn’t want to move and make a noise that would stop the conversation. It was confirmation that his plan was working. Pride warred with a heavy dose of guilt.

“What does he want from you?”

“You mean besides the normal? Sex? Which will happen when I decide I’m ready.”

The book releases this Saturday, April 2nd. 

While my life at age 21 isn’t directly reflected in my books, it surely has influenced my writing. I suspect it’s the truth for others on this loop as well. All you have to do is follow the links below to find out!

Anyway, until next time, please stay safe!

March 28, 2022

Where were you at 21? How does that reflect in your writing today?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter