Tag: #NewRelease

Book Descriptions – You Gotta Love ‘Em (Or Not) #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

April 19, 2021

Let’s talk about book descriptions. Do you write yours before or after you write the story?

I’m what is known in the writing world as a pantser. That means I write my stories by the seat of my pants. I may have a beginning and an end in mind. but everything in between is up for grabs. My characters determine what happens – and sometimes they change everything!

As a result, book descriptions have to wait until I’m done writing the story. Then they go through any number of revisions. I’ve never gotten it right on the first try. Truth is, I made a revision to the tagline of my newest book, The Ranger’s Dog Tags, less than a week before I started uploading files to the various ebook stores.

Here’s how it ended up:

Tagline: It isn’t the first time Eli Hennessey has disappeared. Is it the last?

Eli Hennessey has vanished.

His house in Oak Grove is in flames, his cell phone is out of commission, and friends in Florida can’t find him. It’s up to Harmony Duprie to track down her missing lover before her life shatters and his ends.

Harmony’s first discovery: Eli tricked her into signing paperwork putting her in charge of his company. Had he planned his disappearance?

The answers won’t be found in Oak Grove. Harmony hightails it to Florida in search of Eli and the truth.

The Ranger’s Dog Tags, Book 6 of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, is the final book of the series.

It seems so simple now, but I lost sleep over it. (That’s only a slight exaggeration.) There were several nights I brooded over the wording before falling asleep. Once I was mostly satisfied with it, I shared it with fellow writers who told me  what I’d done wrong and helped me revise it again. And again. And then a different bunch of people switched it up yet again. It’s a lot of work.

It’s a good thing I didn’t write the description before I wrote the book. I had plans for Harmony that never made it into the story. Plus, I knew at least one person was going to die. I just didn’t know who. Or how many.

I know other authors who are plotters. They have their entire book outlined before they ever start writing. They could do the descriptions first. I don’t envy them – it’s more fun to ‘discover’ the story along the way, in my humble opinion.

Let’s find out if anyone on this hop writes their descriptions before they write their books. It’s easy. Just follow the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe!

April 19, 2021

Let’s talk about book descriptions. Do you write yours before or after you write the story?

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

 

Introducing The Ranger’s Dog Tags

  By Uncategorized

It’s on its way—the sixth and final book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries—The Ranger’s Dog Tags. Coming April 22nd.

Eli Hennessey has vanished.

His house in Oak Grove is in flames, his cell phone is out of commission, and friends in Florida can’t find him. It’s up to Harmony Duprie to track down her missing lover before her life shatters and his ends.

Harmony’s first discovery: Eli tricked her into signing paperwork putting her in charge of his company. Had he planned his disappearance?

The answers won’t be found in Oak Grove. Harmony hightails it to Florida in search of Eli and the truth.



Watch this space for the upcoming cover reveal.

While you’re waiting, here’s a short excerpt.

I didn’t anticipate being greeted by a brick wall of a man with deep brown skin when I opened the door. And if I wasn’t mistaken, that was a gun in a holster under his left arm. And a police badge attached to his belt.“Miss Harmony Duprie?” he asked with a voice as mellow as a ray of springtime sunshine.
“Do you sing?” I blurted. It was the first thing that came to mind.
A slow smile spread across his face. “Not in public, ma’am. You are Harmony Duprie, right?”
“Yes. And you are, Detective …?” I let my voice trail off.
The smile got bigger. “Horace. Detective Timothy Horace. Orlando Police Department.”
I stepped aside to give him room to get by. He needed a lot of room. “You’re out of your jurisdiction, aren’t you, Detective?”
“We have a mutual aid agreement with the locals.” I didn’t think his smile could get any bigger, but it did. “Although it’s pretty one-sided.”
I could imagine. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I’m not set up for guests.”
“No worries, Miss Duprie, I won’t be staying long.”
“Are you the official welcoming committee? Or the bearer of bad news? What do you know about Eli? Was he in that car they found this afternoon? Is he all right?” The words poured out of me, along with my fears.

 

Introducing: The Ranger’s Dog Tags

  By Uncategorized

Eli Hennessey has vanished.

His house in Oak Grove is in flames, his cell phone is out of commission, and friends in Florida can’t find him. It’s up to Harmony Duprie to track down her missing lover before her life shatters and his ends.

Harmony’s first discovery: Eli tricked her into signing paperwork putting her in charge of his company. Had he planned his disappearance?

The answers won’t be found in Oak Grove. Harmony hightails it to Florida in search of Eli and the truth.

 

I’m still trying to figure out the actual release date, but I couldn’t wait to share this with you!

Writer’s Secrets #IWSG

  By IWSG
 
 
June 3 question – Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?
 
The awesome co-hosts for the June 3 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, J.Q. Rose, and Natalie Aguirre!
 
Welcome to another month of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.  This month I’m supposed to reveal one or two secrets. But if I tell you, they won’t be a secret anymore! So we’ll go with two things only a few people know.
 
In my Harmony Duprie Mysteries, I’ve made Harmony afraid of flying. Or, I should say, she told me she’s afraid of flying. I don’t think Harmony revealed it to me until Book Three, and I didn’t know why until Book 4. I’m currently up to book 6, and Eli, Harmony’s long-time lover, has figured out her fear, but she hasn’t told him why. Very different from me. I used to work a job where I traveled all the time. I once flew from Florida to various parts of California three times in one month. All the switching of times zones was rough, but I got to the point where, after boarding, I’d be asleep before the plane ever left the ground.
 
And for my other almost secret? I cut my writing teeth on poetry. I even had some luck getting published in literary magazines. At first, I tried to carry that over to my fiction, but it made for heavy reading. I still slip an occasional poetic phrase into my stories, but not near as many as I used to. My mysteries are light-hearted, and I don’t want to bog them down.
 
One more not-a-secret that many of you already know. I released the fifth book in Harmony Duprie Mysteries this past Monday. It’s called The Samurai’s Inro and trouble is chasing down Harmony again. Because how much trouble can one ex-librarian get into? You can find more information HERE. 
 
There you go. Two almost-secrets and a bonus. Thanks go to our hosts for another great blog hop. You can check out the posts from other authors on the links below.
 
Until next time, stay safe!
 
 

Spiderweb #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 1, 2020

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” That’s how I feel about my writing.

Because I didn’t plan it. When I wrote Wolves’ Pawn, it was a one and done. It was fun, and then it was time to try something else. If you’ve been following me for a long time, you know the next book I wrote was supposed to be a different kind of paranormal romance, one featuring a librarian and a ghost. It didn’t turn out like that, because the characters objected. Instead, it became an almost-cozy mystery titled “The Marquesa’s Necklace.”

But I didn’t abandon the original theme. There might be a ghost in there somewhere. As well as a reference to Wolves’ Pawn. You’ll have to read carefully to find it.

And I fell in love with Harmony, my main character, before I finished writing Necklace, and knew there would be more books in the series. In fact, the fifth book, The Samurai’s Inro, is being released today. And each story has a reference to either the ghost or what became the Free Wolves series, or both. And yes, the first book became a series because the characters demanded it.

For the most part, the Free Wolves books stand on their own. There are overlapping characters, but the books can be read in any order. That was done on purpose. Someday, I might write more in that series. There are a couple of ideas floating around in my head.

The mysteries are different. Although each book is a separate mystery, with no cliffhangers, there’s a strong underlying story arch, and I suggest they be read in order. (Especially books 1 & 2. The other books are more solo stories)

Here’s a teaser from The Samurai’s Inro to give you a hint about the paranormal reference:

I’m in the planning stage for another series. I have to finish the Harmony series first, but I can see the possibility of including references to Harmony in the new books, just for the fun of it. It may be a couple of years before you see the first of those books. I’ve got to finish The Ranger’s Dog Tags.before I start those.

If I can carry it off, it will be quite the spiderweb I weave. It sounds like fun to try!

Since this post is appearing on release day, I can’t pass up the opportunity for promotion. Head over HERE   for more information on the Samurai’s Inro and where you can get a copy.

And I’ll be checking out everyone else’s posts during the day, to keep me from staring at my sales figures. You can join me by following the links below.

In the meantime, stay safe out there!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

June 1, 2020

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

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 Samurai’s Inro and a New Excerpt

  By Uncategorized

It’s almost Launch Day! So here’s another excerpt for you.

 

I followed my morning routine—coffee, shower, sit on the steps and read the paper—but the simple joy had disappeared. The biker was gone, but he wasn’t the problem. No, I still hadn’t heard from Eli. No requests for reports or research, not even a text to say hi. I missed him.

But he was more than my lover, he was my boss. Even if I didn’t have a new assignment from him, I still had research to do. The topic was up to me. I could do it anywhere with an internet signal, but I chose to stick with my routine and go to the library. If the biker showed up, I’d know and could keep an eye on him while he kept an eye on me.

With no excuse to build a wall of books, I took a chair in the periodicals area. With the setup of the room, I’d be able to watch anyone coming or going from it. There’d be no sneaking up on me.

At least, that was true as far as the public knew. There was a secret way in and out. Out mostly, because it was hard to slide the last set of shelves from the backside to get in. But I wouldn’t have to worry about getting stuck with no escape route.

Late morning, tired of lists and analysis of security vulnerabilities, I strolled through the stacks of the second floor to stretch my legs and give my eyes a break. I leaned against the balcony railing to survey the reading room below and gaze through the windows on the far wall.

That’s when I spotted him—or not. It was hard to tell from the angle. Plus, he didn’t look like a biker anymore. He’d adopted the persona of a frazzled businessman. White short-sleeved shirt, black pants, he looked like he came from the fifties. The beard was gone, too. I couldn’t get a good look at his face, but the hint of a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve of his shirt gave him away.

From the second floor, there wasn’t a good place to study him further without exposing my presence. If I stood on the steps, I’d have a better chance, but they squeaked. If he looked up at just the right moment, he’d see me. I suppose it didn’t matter; he knew I was in the library. So, how to mess with him?

 

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.  The Samurai’s Inro, coming June 1st.

 

The Samurai’s Inro

  By Uncategorized

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.

 

Don’t forget! The Samurai’s Inro, the fifth book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, will be available June 1st.

Here’s a quick excerpt just for you:

I cradled the pot with what remained of my mother’s African violet in my lap. They plucked every flower and bud and pulled off half the leaves. The plant would live—I’d make sure of it—but it would take a lot of effort.

Pages from my books lay scattered around. All my first editions survived, they’d only destroyed the more current ones. The latest Jack Reacher book. A biography of Queen Elizabeth. The popular-for-the-moment romance, The Pirate’s Nanny. At least I’d finished reading them.

They used a permanent marker to draw mustaches and beards on the framed picture of me and Eli kept on the end table, a middle school type of prank. Thank heavens the original was digital.

I sat in a kitchen chair and rocked, plotting my revenge. A stream of religious missionaries sent to their door. Dead fish mailed regularly. Confetti bombs. Putting a potato in their exhaust. Nothing legal seemed adequate.

It wasn’t a case of a mysterious suitor, of that I was convinced. It felt darker, bordering on evil. Like the culprit was taunting me. Someone who knew me. Someone I thought was a friend. How else would they understand where to draw the line in the damage they’d done?

But I couldn’t explain this to Freddie without sounding crazy. Either Joe or Luke had called him. The three of them were working on straightening out the furniture in the front room while pretending not to keep an eye on me. They had a right to be concerned. That didn’t make it any less irritating.

What I needed to do was jump in and start cleaning. What I wanted to do was grab my laptop and create a spreadsheet of potential suspects. The police were still questioning neighbors and so far, no one had any helpful information. Freddie, although he hadn’t been assigned to the investigation, was following it and keeping me updated.

The short mental list taking form made me hurt as I added each entry. Gary from the pawnshop. Luke or Joe. Big Daddy Al from the Pink Flamingo. That was, assuming they could hotwire cars, something we’d never talked about. And I bet every one of them had an unshakeable alibi.

Jake.

Eli.

Stay tuned for buy links and more information.

The Samurai’s Inro Cover Reveal

  By Uncategorized

Here it is! The Cover for “The Samurai’s Inro,” the fifth book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. Coming June 1, 2020

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.

Harmony Duprie has it made. Or so she thinks.

New job.

New routine.

A quiet life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove.

Oh, and Eli.

But trouble has a long memory and it’s playing a deadly game.

Friends’ cars stolen.

Her apartment ransacked.

The duplicate of a stolen Japanese antique carved box left behind.

Trouble follows wherever she goes, including the parking lot of the police station. Not even the want-to-be bodyguard brought in by Police Chief Sorenson can end the harassment. All her research leads to dead ends.

Can Harmony identify the face of trouble before she loses and the winner takes her life as the final prize?

Let the games begin.

Thanks to K.M Guth for another great cover design.

Scroll down for a bonus.

 

Watch this space for buy links, coming soon.

 

Bonus! Just for you, a quick excerpt.

“Not unless Marly comes with me. You coming, Marly?” Kody asked. His angry eyes locked on mine.

“No. I’ve told you no before and I’m telling you again. No.”

I read his intentions and was prepared when he reached for her shoulder. With a quick thrust, I knocked his hand away. “She said no.”

If he had known what was good for him, he would have backed down. He wasn’t that smart. He swung at me. In a classic move, I grabbed his arm and used his own power to toss him to the floor. “Not cool,” I said.

He should’ve stayed down but wasn’t that smart. He wobbled as he half-rose and lunged at me. I moved aside and kicked him in the rear as he sailed by. The alcohol didn’t do him any favors.

“Enough is enough. Give it up. Go home.” I wondered how everyone else was reacting and if I’d need to defend myself from any of his friends, but didn’t dare take my eyes off him. I backed up until I bumped into the bar.

It took him longer to get up the second time. For a minute, I thought he’d finally gotten smart and was giving up. I was wrong.

 

Welcome to The Samurai’s Inro

  By Uncategorized

I’ve been working hard on the next Harmony story and it’s getting close! I haven’t set an official release date, but it likely will be the early part of May. No cover to share just yet, but I’ve got the tagline and description. And of course the title! It’s called The Samurai’s Inro.

Tagline:

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.

 

Doesn’t that sound like fun? Here’s the description:

Harmony Duprie has it made. Or so she thinks.

New job.

New routine.

A quiet life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove.

Oh, and Eli.

But trouble has a long memory and it’s playing a deadly game.

Friends’ cars stolen.

Her apartment ransacked.

The duplicate of a stolen Japanese antique carved box left behind.

Trouble follows wherever she goes, including the parking lot of the police station. Not even the want-to-be bodyguard brought in by Police Chief Sorenson can end the harassment. And all her research leads to dead ends.

Can Harmony identify the face of trouble before she loses and the winner takes her life as the final prize?

Let the games begin.

 

Welcome Kasper Beaumont & Her New Release

  By Uncategorized

I am tickled pink to welcome Kasper Beaumont on the occasion of her new release, Captive of the Darkness. For my readers that aren’t familiar with you and your stories, introduce yourself, please.

Hi everyone, so nice to be here with PJ on the blog today. I’m Kasper, a dragon-loving, lightsaber-wielding fangirl who likes to write.

I guess things are quiet here in my sleepy little town in Australia, which causes my imagination to run wild. I write high fantasy books about a quest to restore the stolen Elven Jewel. And my new Captive of the Darkness book is an adult paranormal one about angels and demons in a strip club. Something for everyone in the family, I guess.

What book was most influential in your decision to become a writer yourself?

These kind of questions are always hard because I read so widely. Probably have to name Enid Blyton as an early influence. The Magic Faraway Tree and the Famous Five series.

What sorts of conditions are most conducive to your productivity?

Quiet times when no-one is around to distract me. I like to write in the wee hours of the morning or late at night. Also, I put a ban on Facebook until I finish a chapter. It’s a good incentive.

In your experience, what is the best thing about being an author?

Two-fold in my book. One, is bringing happiness to others when they read it. Two, is a lasting legacy after I’m gone. I like my family to be proud of me and the thought that a piece of me will live on.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Hand down it’s gotta be revisions. I do several self-edit passes on every book before they go to the editor. Only thing is, I’d much rather be writing.

Are you a plot driven or character driven writer? Why?

Do I have to choose? You’re being mean. Well sometimes I have a certain place to get to in the plot and I coerce my characters into behaving.

Other times there is total anarchy and the characters definitely call the shots. I had planned for the plot to veer a certain way but one of the characters becomes difficult to fit the script and we take a new tangent. That is sometimes where the best writing is discovered,

Tell us a little about your new release. Where did you get your inspiration?

It’s confession time, I see. The type of books I read is always subject to change on a whim or a good recommendation. Someone gave me the Fallen series to read and I loved it. The idea of angels and demons sprang into being there and soon morphed into the new Hidden Angel series. So far, I have finished book one: Captive of the Darkness. I also have book two written in draft form and the bare bones of a plot for book three. This series both excites and terrifies which is a thrilling way to write.

Thanks, Kasper. May your sales be plentiful!

Title: Captive of the Darkness

Author: Kasper Beaumont

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Captive-Darkness-Hidden-Angel-Book-ebook/dp/B081MW4D1P/

Release date: December 14th.  Preorder is now available.

In Kasper’s own words: 

On Riley’s 18th birthday, she is told she’s a demon hunter, like the rest of her family.  She shrugs the news off in disbelief but that very night she unwittingly enters the lair of a powerful demon and her whole world is turned upside down.

She meets a stripper nicknamed Cupid, who states he is prisoner of the demon.  He is a graceful ballet dancer forced into slavery but yearning to escape his dangerous master.  When she sees a glowing aura around this young man, she realizes he isn’t just any ordinary lad, but something very special.  She knows she must try to save him.

Blurb
Can an angel be hiding here on Earth?

A veil of secrecy is lifted on Riley’s 18th birthday. She thought she knew the world, but now discovers she is a demon hunter. It doesn’t seem real, but then she meets Him, a charismatic young dancer with special powers.
He is a prisoner of a powerful demon.

What secrets does this stranger hide? Will Riley risk her own family to save Him?

 
Excerpt:

Small sandy feet pounded the warm pavement along the beach.  His heartbeat thrummed in his ears, faster than he ever thought possible.  The whispering kept getting closer, no matter how far or fast he ran.  He swiped a cap from outside a shower cubicle.  It was rather large for his head, a perfect disguise.  This covered most of his blond hair and shaded his eyes.  He hoped to outwit whoever was chasing him.  Turning a corner, he dove into a shaded alleyway and bent over to catch his breath.  An aching side-stitch now caught his attention, winding him.  His hands trembled as they rested on shaking and weakened knees.  Turning his cap backwards, he held his breath and peeked a look around the corner.  There was no sign of pursuit.  He let his breath out and wiped the sweat cascading down his cheeks that had soaked his swim shirt.  Fear drove him on.  It was instinct, not a rational decision on his behalf.  Then all the hairs on his body stood up on end.  A cold shiver ran down his spine.  A shadow passed over him.  A whisper, quiet and close.  Warm breath could be felt on his neck.  He turned around slow.  His eyes widened as his hands grasped for the wall at his back.  There was nowhere left to run.  “Oh please no…”

Biography:

 
Kasper J. Beaumont was born and raised in Australia and lives a quiet life with the family in a seaside town. Combining a love of fantasy and a penchant for travel in the Hunters of Reloria trilogy, she started to write on the urging of friends and family and enjoys watching readers become immersed in the magical world of Reloria. Kasper is a pen name for a rather shy author who is happy to remain unnamed.

 

The Hidden Angel series is a urban paranormal fantasy involving Angels and Demons in the seemingly ordinary city of Brisbane. Riley discovers she’s a demon hunter on her 18th birthday and enters a dangerous new world.
Book 1: Captive of the Captive, published 2019.

The Hunters of Reloria trilogy is about the magical world of Reloria where halflings and fairies share a lifelong bond. Dwarves, elves, knights and dragons inhabit this country, but their world is about to be invaded by scaly lizardmen and giant Cyclops.

Prequel: Fandri’s Adventures, published 2016.
Book 1: Elven Jewel, published 2012.
Book 2: Hunters’ Quest, published 2013
Book 3: Dragon’s Revenge, published 2014.

 
Kasper’s links: