Category: Coffee Chats

Author Donna Kaye Dedicated FINDING HOPE to the Military

1/20/2021

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Welcome to the Coffee Chat, your weekly opportunity to meet an author new to you or to renew an old acquaintance. This week’s guest is Donna Kaye, who writes romantic suspense.

Thanks for braving Iowa's cold weather, Donna! What may I get you to drink?

DK: Although I love the smell of coffee, I don’t like the taste. I think I’ve tried about every combination: milk and sugar, black, with Irish whiskey or with chocolate shavings in it.
I drink both hot and cold tea, one of my favorites is apple cinnamon herbal tea.

Ally: Hot apple cinnamon herbal tea it is. While I get our drinks, please tell readers something of your background.

Bio:

Accountant by day, author by night Donna Kaye has a passion for storytelling. Donna credits her love of reading to her fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Wrich. A prolific reader, her eclectic taste in reading means her bookshelves are filled with everything from sweet romance to erotica.
When not at the keyboard or reading, you can find her with loved ones on a road trip, at the movies, at a playhouse enjoying a live theater production, or at a restaurant enjoying great food with family or friends. The tales she spins are filled with love, laughter and the occasional dead body.

Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I’m a craft person. I can knit, crochet, do needlepoint and embroidery. I have to admit I don’t have the patience for cross-stitch. I also sew and do ceramics. I’ve even done an oil painting.”

Donna Kaye contact links:

https://www.amazon.com/author/donnakaye
https://www.facebook.com/Author-Donna-Kaye-105682060822909
https://twitter.com/donnakayewriter
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-kaye
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20581323.Donna_Kaye

INTERVIEW:

Ally: What or who inspired you to write your featured book?

DK: Finding Hope is my second book in the Aspen Gold Series and was a dedication to our nation’s military men and women. Many members of my family have served in peacetime and times of war. My family has served in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the latest generation have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ally: What is the hardest part of writing?

DK: For me the hardest part of writing is making time. I work a full time plus job with a minimum of forty-five to fifty hours a week most of the time and sixty to sixty-five hours during income tax season. I have to schedule time to write and put my rear in the chair whether I feel like it or not. Consequently, I do multiple drafts to fix problems from days I’m writing just to make a word count, not because I’m inspired by the scene I’m working on.

Ally: Do you write with an audience in mind or to a publisher’s required theme?

DK: Since I write romantic suspense, I always have the reader in mind. If I feel a scene or plot are too predictable, then the reader probably will too. Coming up with new twists and turns in a plot are difficult. The same with characters. You don’t want even your supporting characters to be two dimensional or flat. As a writer I need to create a backstory for secondary characters so I know how they will react to events in the story. Besides you never know when a supporting cast member may become a hero or heroine in a new book.

Ally: Are you a plotter, a pantser* or a little of both?
(*one who writes by the “seat of their pants” without an outline)

DK: I start my books as a pantser, once I get the rough draft done, I become a plotter. I have to go back and outline my story to make sure I don’t miss any plot points and that I have more than one suspect.

Ally: Tell us about your reading habits. Current favorites?

DK: I’ll admit I’m an avid reader when I have the time. If I’m in full out writing mode, then I tend to not read. Especially not in my genre. My favorite genre is romantic suspense, but I read most romances, although I’m not a big fan of paranormal. I have read paranormal but the plot has to be exceptional for me to read a series in that genre.

Ally: How many drafts (revision passes) do you do on a typical book?

DK: I usually do my rough draft, then I do probably three passes of revisions before I feel my story is ready for my copy editor. Then I do the revisions from my copy editor.

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

DK: I’m currently writing my third book for the Aspen Gold Series with an anticipated release date of October 2021. The hero is Quincy Howard from my first book Second Chances and the heroine is Paige Rassmussen from my second book Finding Hope.

Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?

DK:

memorable book you’ve read: Wild Ride by Julie Ann Walker was a great read. The hero Ozzie Sykes surprised me, and that’s hard to do anymore.
an item on your bucket list: I want to tour Australia and New Zealand. Not just for two weeks, but more like two months.
favorite comfort food: Homemade chicken noodle soup.
favorite book character: Blade Lombard from Blade’s Lady by Fiona Brand. His multi-faceted personality and personal moral code were compelling.
favorite quote: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Ally: It was a pleasure to meet you, Donna. Good luck with your career. Before we finish, please show us your featured book, Finding Hope.

Finding Hope (Aspen Gold)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: PG-16

Her life will never be the same.
Injured in Afghanistan, Samantha Kincaid is struggling physically and emotionally. She's come to Spencer to create a new life, but can't escape the nightmares and panic attacks that follow her.

Is the peace he's found too good to be true?
After a couple years of being unsettled following his stint in the Army, Ren Garrett found a place to belong. Now his past has reared its unforgiving head. Accused of taking the daughter he can't claim, he must exonerate himself by finding her.

Book Buy Links:

Amazon ebook:
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-Aspen-Gold-Book-ebook/dp/B08F4MSHQG/

Amazon print book:
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-Aspen-Gold-Book/dp/1734615001/

Universal book link from books to read: https://books2read.com/FindingHope

Character Interview with Rachel Blackstone from GG Collins' Anasazi Mystery series

1/13/2021

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Welcome to the Coffee Chat. We're doing something a little different this week. Author G.G. Collins brought Rachel Blackstone, the main character of her paranormal mystery series, to be interviewed. In order for Rachel to speak freely, GG has stepped into the kitchen for a few minutes, so let's get right to it.

Welcome, Rachel! Tell us about your character. Who is Rachel Blackstone?

RB: Rachel’s career as the Reluctant Medium began a few years ago in her living room. You see, she didn’t believe her father’s death was an accident. Having learned about the Hopi ritual to return the dead, she tried it. This is where things went off the rails for Rachel. The wrong person returned; an evil spirit. Since then, she has been called upon to solve mysteries of the eerie sort. That’s not always easy because she already has a fulltime job as a reporter for a Santa Fe magazine. But she has learned some new skills: vision quests, dragon flying and time travel. She’s still reluctant, but rising to each challenge.

Ally: Is there a defining moment in your background that made you who you are today?

RB: It has to be when I blew the ancient ritual to return the dead. An evil spirit appeared in my living room instead of my father. His appearance sent me down the wormhole I’m in now. It’s not all bad; there is great satisfaction in solving mysteries and saving lives. Because of this, I have a relationship with the Hopi shaman and numerous others from the spirit world.

Ally: Are you happy with the setting? Did you want a bigger house or a ranch in Wyoming?

RB: Who wouldn’t love Santa Fe: abundant sunshine, great food, mountains and the many mysteries of a timeless place? The history of the Native Americans infuses contemporary times. If one can look past the ample arts scene, the upscale homes and the influx of visitors to the City Different, there are stories that encompass the nearby Los Alamos Labs, dormant supervolcano—or is it?—and the blood red mountains.

Ally: Do you like the profession your author chose? Is there a career that would have been better?

RB: I love being a reporter. I’ve been asking questions since I was old enough to talk and ask why the sky is blue. My father was a journalist for several publications during his career including the Albuquerque Journal. He was working on an investigative piece when he mysteriously died in what the police called an accidental death when his car veered off the ski basin road. With my training, I continued to investigate on my own.

Ally: Do you have siblings? Are you close to them?

RB: My brother Chris has been distant since our father died. In book one he’s the mayor of Santa Fe. Unfortunately, he’s also a womanizer and tends to get involved with shady types and the latest sure thing that never is. In Reluctant Medium, he finds himself in really hot water as a result of his impulses for fast money and women.

Ally: Who is your favorite supporting character?

RB: That would be my best friend Chloe Valdez. She’s been married, well, I forget how many times, but she kept the Valdez last name because it helps sell real estate in New Mexico. Something she does very well. And, just to be clear, while I’m not sold on this psychic stuff, she’s enamored by it. Chloe caters our every adventure and never wears sensible shoes. But she is the friend we all want: there when needed, resourceful and ready when you need a hug.

Ally: Any hobbies or pets?

RB: Chile Pod, my tortie cat, came on the scene in book one. Never much of a cat person, actor Logan Masters, who graced my life at the time, brought me around. Since, I’ve discovered how helpful a psychic cat can be. Chile Pod, named for the southwestern fruit we love to eat, lives a charmed life while Auntie Chloe spoils her with unaffordable treats—on my budget. I am forever explaining to Chile Pod why she is served a lower-class cat food at home. Sigh.

Ally: Did the author kill off any for your friends? How did you feel about it?

RB: Yes, in my first adventure, she did kill off a friend. What I didn’t know was that it didn’t end the relationship. He continues to help me as I carry on this journey of solving metaphysical mysteries.

Ally: Were you happy with your wardrobe?

RB: Most definitely, I value comfort over fashion any time, just ask Chloe who dresses in exotic textiles and wears heels on most every occasion. I prefer shoes I can run in! She knows I’m a style failure, but would like to add a few accoutrements such as a cell phone. So far, I’m resisting this technological product of intrusion.

Ally: Did your author listen to you when you tried to redirect her/him?

RB: Sometimes I surprise her as she’s working on a scene. I’m that whisper in her ear, saying, how about we do this? For instance, when Chloe went inside her pantry, she didn’t know there was something mystifying behind the wall. I told her, there is a secret here. What is it? Is there a hidden door? Explore.

Ally: Name three of your favorite things that readers may not know.

RB: 1) I’m a confirmed junk food addict, I’m up for a green chile cheese burrito any time. 2) I also love margaritas at The Shed, but not the “healthy” pomegranate drinks Chloe prefers—and 3) the next assignment.

Ally: Thank you for chatting with me, Rachel. It was nice to get to know you. I’d like to invite GG to join us now, talk about her background, and tell us about the plot of your featured book, Anasazi Medium.

About the Author:

G G Collins loves the southwestern US where many of her stories are located. She can be found hiking through ruins of the ancient ones and enjoying New Mexican cuisine. When not traipsing about, she makes up stories with great friendships, quirky characters and, oh yeah, dead bodies. In real life she shares her time with a man, several neurotic—and psychic—cats and the ongoing struggle to grow a garden.

She also write the Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery series and Teen/YA books.

Author Contacts:

Via Goodreads. Friend me first. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427518.G_G_Collins
Website and blog: https://paralleluniverseatlarge.wordpress.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/g-g-collins
Twitter: @WriterGGCollins

Anasazi Medium (4th book in series).
Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Ancient peoples enlighten contemporary humankind in a mystery as old as time.

Rachel Blackstone is recruited by the spirit world to prevent a cataclysm: the end of the Fourth World of the Hopi. As earthquakes rumble and a supervolcano threatens to blow, it becomes imperative she discover the root of all evil.

Can she stop the greedy men intent on plundering Mother Earth and killing those who would stop them? The survival of an unaware civilization depends on Rachel getting it right.

Buy link (all books):
https://www.amazon.com/G-G-Collins/e/B008C3G3X0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Stay safe, stay healthy, & come back soon!

Coffee Chat Interview with Mystery Writer Leslie Wheeler

1/6/2021

Welcome to the first Coffee Chat of 2021!

Although it’s a cold and snowy day in the Midwest, this week’s guest author has made the virtual trip to be with us and bring her featured book, Shuntoll Road. I hope you’ll join me in book talk with mystery writer Leslie Wheeler.

Good to have you here, Leslie. What may I get you to drink?

LW: I start off the day with a cup of chai tea with milk and Stevia sweetener. I switch to coffee for a pickup in mid to late afternoon--instant, again with milk, sweetener and sometimes a teaspoon of cocoa mixed in.

Ally: I assume you’ve already had your morning tea, so let’s see what we can do about that cup of coffee. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll introduce yourself to readers.

Bio:

An award-winning author of non-fiction, Leslie Wheeler turned to mystery writing to give herself the freedom to make things up. Her two series are the Berkshire Hilltown Mysteries, which began with Rattlesnake Hill and continues with Shuntoll Road, and the Miranda Lewis Living History Mysteries, which debuted with Murder at Plimoth Plantation, recently re-released as a trade paperback by Encircle Publishing, and continues with Murder at Gettysburg and Murder at Spouters Point. Wheeler’s mystery short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies including the Best New England Crime Stories series. She divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Berkshires, where she does her best writing in a house overlooking a pond.

Something that isn’t in my regular bio: “Every Sunday night I read “Dinner with Cupid,” a Boston Globe Magazine feature, where couples are matched for a blind date with dinner courtesy of the Globe. I’m always happy when the date is a success, and kind of sad when it’s not. Either I’m an incurable romantic, or I just like things to work out between people.”

Contact Links:
Website: https://lesliewheeler.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliewheelerauthor
Twitter: @Leslie_Wheeler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/728725.Leslie_Wheeler
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/leslie-wheeler

INTERVIEW:

Ally: What made you decide to write your featured book?

LW: I was inspired to write Shuntoll Road, the second book in my Berkshire Hilltown Mystery series, by my deep and abiding love for the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, where I have lived for many years. The Berkshires I portray is not the one that tourists who flock there in the summer and fall know. Instead, it’s a place “of lonely towns perched high on hills, of narrow, winding back roads, where wildlife outnumbers humans, and the residents often lead hardscrabble lives.” The books are set in a town not unlike the one where I have a house. My town covers a large and diverse area, and each book deals with a distinct part of that area. In Shuntoll Road the focus is on a part of town, where long ago there were two tiny hamlets called Sodom and Gomorrah, because of the evil ways of the inhabitants.

Ally: Do people you know ever show up in your books?

LW: People in my real life have a way of creeping into my fiction. They include family members, friends and neighbors. I follow a “Mr. Potato Head” approach to creating characters. I’ll take a trait from one person I’ve known, and slap it on another, very different character. This helps me disguise characters, especially those presented in a negative light, so the folks they’re based on won’t recognize themselves in my books—at least not to the degree of being able to sue me.

Ally: What’s your writing process like? Are you a pantser or a plotter?

LW: I’m more of a pantser than a plotter, though I prefer to call my process “the discovery method.” I have a general idea about how the story will begin and how it will end, but then I must discover the rest of the story while writing it. If I’m going to do an outline, it’s usually after the first hundred pages, so I can see where I need to go, based on where I’ve already been. The drawback to my method is that if a terrific character shows up toward the end, I have to backfill her into the beginning. The upside is that I’m never bored while writing, because I’m discovering the story in the same way the reader does.

Ally: What’s the best advice you could pass on to other writers?

LW: “Don’t give up,” and “Don’t try to make your novel or short story perfect the first time around.” My first drafts are messy to be point of being embarrassing. But I always try to remind myself not to be discouraged, because I’ve done this before and I can get it right after several drafts.

Ally: What are you working on now?

LW: My next writing project is Wolf Bog, the third book in my Berkshire Hilltown series. I’m currently revising the first draft and it will probably need a couple more revisions before I submit it to my publisher. I’m hoping for publication some time in late 2021 or early 2022.

Ally: Which of the short trivia questions did you choose?

LW:

favorite accessories: green or purple beret; patterned socks with cats and other animals.
the best thing a book fan has ever said to you: “. . . we know/knew all the players in this intriguing story, and loved your ‘spin’ on the true crime we endured & that shook our tiny town! Loved the settings, and places, and all the roads you took the reader on, it put me right there with your vivid descriptions.”
pets: orange tabby named Marmalade
best place I’ve ever visited: Iceland, because it’s such a beautiful yet strange country.
one thing I’d try to take with me if forced to evacuate my home: my laptop, where my writing lives.

Ally: Thanks for spending time with us, Leslie! Good luck with your books, and please show us your featured novel before you go.

Shuntoll Road (A Berkshire Hilltop Mystery)
Genre: traditional mystery
Rating: PG-13

Boston library curator Kathryn Stinson returns to the Berkshires, hoping to rebuild her romance with Earl Barker, but ends up battling a New York developer, determined to turn the property she’s been renting and has grown to love, into an upscale residential development.

The fight pits her against Earl, offered the job of clearing the land. When a fire breaks out in the woods, the burned body of another opponent is discovered. Did he die attempting to escape a fire he set, or was the fire set to cover up his murder? Kathryn’s search for answers leads her to other questions about the developer’s connection to a friend of hers who fled New York years ago for mysterious reasons. The information she uncovers puts her in grave danger.

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle/paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Shuntoll-Road-Berkshire-Hilltown-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08F7YQ42H
Encircle Publishing: https://encirclepub.com/product/shuntollroad/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shuntoll-road-leslie-wheeler/1136500170
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1524348304
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/shuntoll-road

Wishing You All a Great New Year!

Take a Holiday Break with a Matthew Cost Mystery

12/23/2020

Happy Holidays, Booklovers!

While you’re waiting for Santa or for another holiday event, kick off your shoes and pull up a chair. It’s time for another Coffee Chat interview! This week’s guest is mystery author Matthew Cost with his featured novel, Mainely Power.

Welcome, Matt! How do you take your coffee?

MC: I drink it with gourmet creamer. First cup to wake up and second at my desk writing. Then, we go from there.

Bio:

Over the years, Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable.

During those years, since age eight actually, the true passion has been writing. I Am Cuba: Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution (Encircle Publications, March 2020) was his first traditionally published novel.

Mainely Power is the first of the Mainely Mystery trilogy featuring private detective Goff Langdon. This will be followed by Mainely Fear (just released December 2020), and Mainely Money (to be released in March, 2021).

Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.

Ally: Tell me something that isn’t in your regular bio: “I mention it above, but I once owned a bookstore called the Coffee Dog Bookstore, named after my chocolate Lab, the Coffee Dog. This bookstore and dog were the inspiration for my Mainely Mystery series and are both present in the books. I fictionalize all the characters and places in my hometown of Brunswick other than that, except for a brief blurb in Matt & Dave’s Video Venture, which I also owned at the time. I figured I wouldn’t sue myself.”

Matt Cost can be reached at:

Email: matthew-cost@comcast.net
Website: https://mattcost.net
Twitter: @MattCost8
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.cost.3/

INTERVIEW:

Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?

MC: My first published book was I am Cuba; Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, with Encircle Publications. Over the years I had tried to garner an agent and get to the big five of publishing giants. I had done that with various books, and ended up self-publishing one, Joshua Chamberlain and Civil War; At Every Hazard. Finally, I decided to back down and look at some of the smaller publishing houses. Cynthia Brackett-Vincent at Encircle Publications got back to me almost immediately, having loved the draft I sent to them. They are also publishing my Mainely Mystery series, which Mainely Power is the first. They are also publishing another historical next year and a new mystery series that I am two books deep into. I could not be happier.

Ally: Do you write with a theme or message in mind?

MC: I enjoy creating a story around fictional characters as well as sharing significant historical events and people from our past. In my historical work, there is most definitely a theme or message. For instance, my historical, Love in a Time of Hate; New Orleans During Reconstruction, coming out next September, depicts the struggle for social, economic, and political freedom that took place immediately after the Civil War.
I also weave messages into my mystery novels though. I have three mystery novels coming out next year. The first has do with powerful lobbyists and the influence they have, the second has to do with heroin being smuggled through lobster traps in Maine, and the third deals with the resurgence of cult and cult behavior in the US.

Ally: Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing? Does it ever change?

MC: In writing historical fiction, I generally have a pretty good idea of the end of the book. When it ends might fluctuate somewhat, and in my most recent work, I have a fictional theme woven in that was not decided until the very end. My mysteries usually start with an idea and sometimes that idea visualizes the end, not that it always makes it to that particular end. The mystery I am currently working on that involves genetic engineering was a quarter of the way done when I realized what would happen in the end. Now, I just have to get from point A to point D. And yes, certainly, the end could change by then.

Ally: What three books in your genre would you recommend to fans (after they’ve read your books, of course!).

MC:
1) The Perfect Daughter by Joseph Souza
2) Within Plain Sight; a Detective Byron Mystery by Bruce Robert Coffin
3) In Solo Time by Richard Cass

Ally: What is your writing project for 2021? Anticipated release date?

MC: I have a full slate of works being published over the next year. The second Mainely Mystery book with Goff Langdon, Mainely Fear, was just released December 4, 2020. The third in the series, Mainely Money, comes out March 6, 2021. The first book in the new Clay Wolfe series, Wolfe Trap, comes out in June of 2021, and the second, The Reckoning, is slated for December of 2021. In between, I have a historical, Love in a Time of Hate; New Orleans During Reconstruction, coming out in September of 2021. I am currently working on the third in the Clay Wolfe Series.

Ally: Which of the short trivia questions did you choose to answer?

MC:

an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch: Ernest Hemingway
If you were a color, what would it be? Purple
favorite quote: “They tell us sir, that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger?” Patrick Henry in “Give us Liberty or Give us Death”.
the best thing a book fan has ever said to you: “I read this book in a day and bloody loved it.”
Your pets: Chocolate Lab is Coffee Dog, basset hound is Whimzi, and Chihuahua is Peanut

Ally: Thanks for visiting with us, Matt. It’s been a pleasure. Happy Holidays! But before you go, please show us your Goff Langdon mystery #1...

Mainely Power (A Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery)
Genre: Traditional mystery
Rating: PG-13

Was Harold Dumphy killed to cover up something at the nuclear power plant he was the head of security at?

This is what the widow asks Goff Langdon, private detective, to find out.

Langdon is a laid back, slacker detective, happy with his work, friends, and way of life in the town of Brunswick, Maine. To compliment his income in small town Maine's scarce private detective market, Langdon also owns and operates a mystery bookstore named after his trusted companion, Coffee Dog.

Does Langdon stand a chance against corrupt cops, crooked politicians, greedy millionaires, radical environmentalists, and a deadly assassin named Shakespeare?

With the help of Bart, the bear of a cop, Jimmy 4 by Four the hippie lawyer, the immigrants Jewell and Richam, and his desire and employee, Chabal—he sets out to do just that. And then he is framed for not one, but two murders, and events become very complicated.

Follow Langdon and his band of friends as they attempt to untangle the web of intrigue and return Brunswick to 'the way life should be'.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mainely-Power-Goff-Langdon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08FMXQFNV/
Encircle Publications: http://encirclepub.com/product/mainely-power/

Mainely Fear, book #2 in the Goff Langdon trilogy is available now!
https://www.amazon.com/Mainely-Fear-Goff-Langdon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08KY6KJG2

Have a Wonderful Holiday!

Guest Author Interview: Cozy Up with a Mystery by Judy Alter

12/16/2020

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Are you ready for the holidays? Put your feet up and grab a cup of your favorite beverage while we chat with this week’s guest author, Judy Alter, who writes cozy mysteries.
Welcome, Judy. What may I get you to drink?

JA: I am not a coffee drinker. I start my day with a cup of hot tea, decaffeinated per doctor’s orders and flavored with a bit of honey. After that I switch to ice water, except on very cold days I may have an afternoon cuppa
.
Ally: While I prepare a nice, hot cuppa tea, please introduce yourself to readers.

Bio:

After an established career writing historical fiction for adults and young adults, about women of the nineteenth-century American West, Judy Alter turned her attention to contemporary cozy mysteries. Most of her Kelly O’Connell Mysteries and Blue Plate Café Mysteries were published by Turquoise Morning Press and available from Amazon. When her publisher went out of business, she became an indie publisher and never looked back.

Judy is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Guppies, Women Writing the West, and the Texas Institute of Letters. When she is not writing, Judy is busy with seven grandchildren. Born in Chicago, she has made her home in Fort Worth, Texas for over fifty years. Judy is also a proud Scot, a member of Clan MacBean. One trip to the Highlands convinced her that is where her heart is, and she longs to write a novel set in Scotland that would take a second trip for research.

Her western fiction and nonfiction has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the WWA Hall of Fame and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame at the Fort Worth Public Library. Some of her western books are available Kindle and a variety of other ebook platforms.

Something about yourself not included in your regular bio: “I am the proud parent of four and grandmother of seven. My four children are all adopted, and I raised them mostly as a single parent. We are a large, rowdy, noisy crew when we get together. Hate that quarantine and the pandemic has ruled out our get-togethers for the time being.”

Contact links:

Website: http://www.judyalter.com
Blogs: http://www.judys-stew.blogspot.com; http://www.gourmetonahotplate.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=judy%20alter&epa=SEARCH_BOX; https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Alter-Author-366948676705857/?ref=br_rs
Twitter: @judyalter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5446.Judy_Alter
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judy-alter

INTERVIEW:

Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?

JA: Saving Irene grew out of my increasing interest in cooking and food writing. I have been known to say that in my next life I’ll be a chef so the book may reflect that, though Irene developed in ways I hadn’t expected and became a diva. I hope I’m not that. The other thread in the book is Chicago. As I grow older, I turn more to my childhood background. Saving Irene is set in Chicago’s historic Hyde Park neighborhood where I grew up.

Ally: Do people you know ever show up in your novels?

JA: People I knew in my teen years show up in Saving Irene. Friends from that period of my life have written me that they recognized this one or that. But the book is an exception. There are few people from my real life in most of my fiction.

Ally: Which of your own books is your personal favorite?

JA: The Gilded Cage, a fictional biography of Bertha Honoré (Cissy) Palmer, wife of hotelier Potter Palmer (The Palmer House) and one of the first women to combine great wealth with philanthropy. The novel is almost a history of Chicago from 1847 through the Great Fire, the Haymarket Riot, and the Columbian Exposition. I think writing that book is what renewed my interest in Chicago.

Ally: What’s the very best compliment you’ve received from a book reader.

JA: A fan once said to me, “I saw Kelly going into the Neighborhood Grill.” Kelly O’Connell, fictional heroine of my Kelly O’Connell mystery series, had become so real to her that she thought she saw her going into one of Kelly’s favorite neighborhood restaurants. Another fan said my characters are just like the people you meet in the grocery. I thought both were great compliments.

Ally: What writing project is on your current To Do list?

JA: Next on my desk is a sequel to Saving Irene. I have the title, Irene in Danger, and the first line “Irene Foxglove was flying across the ocean to ruin my wedding.” Plot ideas are bouncing around in my mind, and it time to get serious at the computer.

Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?

JA:

a. A writer - living or dead - you wish you could take to lunch: Mystery author Susan Wittig Albert
b. Your pets: My dog, Sophie, a doodle dog—half miniature poodle, half border collie.
c. Your hobbies: Cooking.
d. The best place you ever visited: Edinburgh, Scotland
e. What you’d do if you could write any more: I’d cook.

Ally: Thanks for visiting with us on this cold, snowy morning, Judy. Happy holidays, and good luck with your books. Before you go, please show us Saving Irene.

Saving Irene (A Culinary Mystery)
Genre: Cozy mystery

Irene Foxglove wishes she were a French chef. Henrietta James, her assistant, know she is nothing more than a small-time TV chef on a local Chicago channel.

And yet when Irene is threatened, Henny tries desperately to save her, wishing always that “Madame” would tell her the truth--about her marriage, her spoiled daughter, her days in France, the man who threatens her.

Henny’s best friend, the gay guy who lives next door, teases her, encourages her—and maybe loves her from afar.

Murder, kidnapping, and some French gossip complicate this mystery, set in Chicago and redolent with the aroma of fine food.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GXB8KP6
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1531206726
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-irene-judy-alter/1137615165;jsessionid=25CDBD588337575DFC7FD06A31F73A63.prodny_store01-atgap04?ean=2940164502515
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/saving-irene

All books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Alter/e/B001H6NMU6

Stay Safe, and Have a Happy Holiday Season!

Start Next Year with a Thriller by Author Robert McCaw

12/2/2020

Good Morning, Booklovers!

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to hit the right mood than welcoming another author to the Coffee Chat? Join me in saying hello to Robert McCaw, author of mystery/thriller, Death of a Messenger.

So nice to meet you, Robert. How do you take your coffee?

RMcC: Black, ground and brewed in a DeLonghi machine. I am fond of saying I like it black and bitter. I’ve always liked it black, and the Army taught me to take it bitter.

Ally: I can’t say I prefer it bitter, but my magic pot can make it any way you like. While I pour, please tell readers something of your background.

Bio:

Robert McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a US Army Lieutenant, and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, DC, and New York City, representing major Wall Street clients in complex civil and criminal cases. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw imbues his writing of the Islands with his more than a 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. He now lives in New York City and La Jolla, California, with his wife, Calli.

Something unusual about you that isn’t in your regular bio: “During my training at the US Army Airborne School, my main parachute failed to open on my third jump. I came down safely on my reserve parachute, but it was a memorable experience.” (Ally comment: Wow! I bet!)

Website:
www.robertbmccaw.com

Social media:
https://www.facebook.com/Robert-B-McCaw-923924024346405/timeline/
https://twitter.com/RobertBMcCaw

INTERVIEW:

Ally: Where do you do most of your writing - desktop, laptop or on paper? Does it make a difference whether it’s a first or last draft?

RMcC: Over time, I’ve used paper, a desktop computer, and a laptop. Now I write exclusively on a laptop whether I’m planning a new novel or making the last pre-production edits to a manuscript. A laptop is both portable and convenient enabling me to work anywhere—home, library, airplane, or hotel room. As long as I have an Internet connection, I can also create instant backups on the Dropbox cloud, so even if my computer should die, I won’t lose work. A laptop with Internet access also facilitates research and fact-checking and makes it easy to preserve research, including cellphone pictures I take and email to myself to assist in describing some settings.

I typically begin my novels on Scrivener software because it allows for easy reorganization, and then later transition to Word as the manuscript comes together. The search function, spelling, and grammar functions of Word, combined with Grammarly, provide powerful proofreading capabilities.

Ally: Everyone seems to be on social media or talking about it. Do you have a favorite?

RMcC: Besides providing me opportunities to advertise my work and connect with those who read my novels, I’m not a huge fan of social media. In many ways, the social media platforms seem to trivialize life and often serve as a conduit for spreading misinformation.

People also think of social media as “free,” but nothing could be farther from the truth. These platforms are commercial enterprises whose users pay handsomely by relinquishing rights to their personal data, as well as subjecting themselves to targeted commercial and political messaging. While some platforms offer various opt-out provisions, many have not lived up to their advertised promises to protect the data they obtain from their users.

Ally: What’s the best writing/marketing advice you can pass on to other writers?

RMcC: I have three pieces of advice.

My first advice to fiction writers is always to write what you know. Own your material. In the most general terms, that means choosing settings you’ve visited, picking characters shaped by experiences similar to yours, and dealing with plots and themes with which you have a personal connection. I am not suggesting that your writing be biographical, but unless you are writing fantasy or science fiction, your story will have greater appeal if it’s authentic and believable. I find that the further I venture from my own experiences, the harder it is to depict the details in the setting, dialog, action, and characters’ mindsets that make for a gripping story.

Second, swallow your pride of authorship and find a good editor. Most writers I know (including me) get too close to their own words to see the gaps, inconsistencies, and other flaws in their work. A good editor sees these anomalies and does not tell you what to write but offers a new and different perspective on what you have written, hopefully enabling you to improve. My wife Calli reads all my books, typically more than once, and her input is invaluable. My characters are more compelling, my scenes more realistic, and leaps of logic closed because of her insights. And I also encourage and welcome suggestions from my agent and my publisher.

Lastly, follow your instincts and don’t try to jump on the latest trend. It takes most authors well more than a year to go from a completed manuscript to a published book. What’s trendy today is unlikely to be au courant tomorrow. You have a greater chance of setting the trend than getting ahead by following what’s hot today.

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

RMcC: There’s little good to say about the Coronavirus pandemic, but the isolation it’s imposed has created more time for writing. Thus, I have three projects in reasonably advanced stages. First, Oceanview Publishing has contracted to republish the third book in my Hawaiian Mystery series. That book, Death of a Messenger, with some updates and changes, will be published in January 2021. Its advanced readers’ copies will soon be available to reviewers.

Second, Oceanview Publishing has also agreed to publish the fourth book in the series, Treachery Times Two, in January 2022. I’m now working on final changes to that manuscript.

Lastly, I have another somewhat different novel in the works, but it’s too soon to say more about that.

Ally: We’ll look forward to all of them. Now it’s time for trivia. Which of the questions did you choose?

RMcC:

memorable book you’ve read – Endurance by Alfred Lansing, the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s incredible journey to rescue the crew of his ill-fated ship crushed in the Antarctic ice.
last time you rode a train (not subway) – My wife and I took the train with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren from Amsterdam, where they live, to Utrecht in the Netherlands.
pie or cake? What kind? – Definitely cherry pie. My son and daughter-in-law send me one every year for my birthday, which falls on the day before Christmas.
best place you’ve ever visited – I wouldn’t describe it as the best place, but the most fascinating place I’ve been was South Georgia Island, a British Overseas Territory, in the Antarctic zone. Home to tens of thousands of King and Macaroni penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, albatross, and other unique birds, it played a significant role in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s successful efforts to save the crew of his ill-fated Antarctic adventure on the S.S. Endurance.
If you couldn’t write anymore, what would you want to do? – I’d love to be an astronomer, especially at this moment in history, when we have incredible tools like the W. M. Keck telescopes atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii and LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, to tease out the secrets of our universe.

Ally: It’s been a pleasure, Robert. Thank you for your service to our country, good luck with your writing career, and Happy Birthday later this month! Before you leave us today, please show us your featured book (to be released by Oceanview next month).

Death of a Messenger (Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Book 3)
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Release date: January 5, 2021
Rating: G

Journey deep into the exotic locales of Hawaii’s Big Island to discover its language, culture—and crime

On Hawaii Island, an anonymous 911 caller reports a body at Pohakuloa, the Army’s live-fire training area. Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane, a cop with his own secret criminal past, finds a mutilated corpse—bearing all the hallmarks of ancient ritual sacrifice.

He encounters a host of obstacles as he pursues the murderer—an incompetent local medical examiner, hostility from both haoles (Westerners) and sovereignty advocates, and a myriad of lies. Koa races to discover whether the victim stumbled upon a gang of high-tech archaeological thieves, or learned a secret so shocking it cost him his life and put others in mortal danger.

Will Hilo’s most respected detective stop this sadistic fiend—or will the Pohakuloa killer strike again, with even deadlier consequences?

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and James Lee Burke

While all of the novels in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Off the Grid
Fire and Vengeance
Death of a Messenger
Treachery Times Two (coming January 2022)

Pre-order/purchase links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608094030/
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-of-a-messenger-robert-mccaw/1136876259?ean=9781608094035
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/death-of-a-messenger-volume-3/9781608094035

Have a Great and Safe Holiday Season!

Author John Bishop MD Talks About Writing A Medical Thriller Series

11/11/2020

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Thank you for joining me this morning to welcome another writer to the Coffee Chat! Today's guest is John Bishop MD, author of the Doc Brady mystery series of medical thrillers.

Welcome, John! How do you take your coffee?

John: I like to drink my coffee black, and hot please.

Ally: Me too! While I pour, please tell readers something of your background.

Bio:

John Bishop MD is the author of Act of Revenge: A Doc Brady Mystery. Dr. Bishop has practiced orthopedic surgery in Houston, Texas, for 30 years. His Doc Brady medical thriller series is set in the changing environment of medicine in the 1990s. Drawing on his years of experience as a practicing surgeon, Bishop entertains readers using his unique insights into the medical world with all its challenges, intricacies, and complexities, while at the same time revealing the compassion and dedication of health care professionals. Dr. Bishop and his wife, Joan, reside in the Texas Hill Country.

Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: "I knew my father had been in the war, which would be WW II. He never discussed it. I occasionally would hear him quietly talk about an episode or two with his Army buddies, but those sorts of things were never discussed with the family. He remained active in the Army Reserve, which involved monthly meetings and a 2-week outing into the wilds of Ft. Polk in Leesville, LA. After he died, my mother gave me a box. She said my dad wanted me to have its contents. In that box were dozens of war medals...a Purple Heart, Medal of Valor, and a myriad of items that were awarded him during and after WW II. I would have loved to have discussed all his medals and awards with him when he was alive. For whatever reason, he could not. I am the son of a war hero, unknown to me until after his death."

For more information:
Wesite: https://johnbishopauthor.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20293392.John_Bishop
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/John-Bishop/e/B07WQJZ8KG?

INTERVIEW:

Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?

John: I was an orthopedic surgeon and have been an avid reader my entire life. My favorite books have always been medical mysteries in the form of such authors as vintage Michael Crichton and Robin Cook. Back in the 1990s, I had a good deal of time on my hands, having retired from the publishing/presentation world of academic medicine, and was spending my time taking care of patients. We had a beach house in Galveston, and I would sit in an upstairs
alcove and ponder writing the "great American novel.”
One day, after attending the funeral of a child of one of my friends and partners, I started writing about the grief associated with the loss of a child. That morphed into writing about the death of the child which needed to be fictitious, so I then added a murder mystery scenario and came up with the first novel called ACT OF MURDER.
By then I had been bitten by the writing bug and continued to create stories and novels. My wife Joan found an agent in New York, who tried to get me a publishing deal but was unsuccessful. Undaunted, I continued to write, and produced ACT OF DECEPTION, ACT OF REVENGE, ACT OF NEGLIGENCE, AND ACT OF FATE. After that last book, I gave up and abandoned the writing career.

Ally: After setting aside those early attempts, how did you get your first book published?

John: Several years ago, my son's wife started writing a novel with her father. He would repeatedly ask about those books I had written when the kids were young. I ignored him for a while due to the painful memories of writing five books which never got published. One day, after his persistence, I rummaged through the "old forgotten memory box" and produced a small plastic case, inside of which were five floppy disks...the John Bishop novels, produced on a MAC desktop computer many years ago. He took the disks, said he would try to revive the texts, but thought it unlikely he would be able to recover the words after all that time. Besides, floppy disks? Forgotten and outdated technology.
Quite some time passed, and it was on Father's Day a couple of years ago that he gave me a gift-wrapped present. I opened it and to my shock, it was a bound professional copy of a novel called ACT OF MURDER. He had retrieved the first novel, gone through the publishing process at Amazon, and made me a published author after all those years. I read the book twice and decided it wasn't bad. I found a wonderful publicist Anna Sacca through Fauzia Burke at FSB Associates, and a wonderful editor Erin Willard, and now the first three books have been released with the fourth to be released in March. What an incredible turn of events. I have returned to writing the Doc Brady mystery series, and am thankful that I am able to rekindle those dreams from so many years ago.

Ally: Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing?

John: I do not have a clear picture of the ending of a book when I begin writing. I have an idea about a story line, then just sit down and start typing on a laptop computer. Much of the story I make up as I go. Sometimes I will venture down the wrong path and have to re-route myself. But I have been fortunate to be able to write "off the cuff" so to speak. Friends of mine will ask me how in the world do I come up with all this stuff??? I had a lot of life experiences being a doctor for 25 years. Also, I have played the piano since age twelve, and have played in many bands and with many people from different walks of life and have learned a great deal about human nature. Many of the characters I write about are represented by people I have come in contact with over the years, with names changed to protect the innocent...or guilty, as it may be.

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

John: In the new novels I am working on, Dr. Jim Bob Brady and his wife Mary Louise have changed venues. Brady came into some money, and briefly retired, but then re-surfaced out in the Hill Country of Texas, where he plies his trade as orthopedic surgeon still but continues in his quest for justice and truth part time as a mostly unwanted investigator. Since resuming my writing, I have written four more Doc Brady books, ACT OF ATONEMENT, ACT OF MERCY, ACT OF GREED, and ACT OF DECEIT. I am working on the tenth in the series, ACT OF MADNESS.

Ally: I’m curious to see which of the quick answer questions you chose.

John:

a memorable book you’ve read - Sycamore Row by John Grisham
a book you're currently reading - A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch - Michael Crichton
ebook or print - I prefer print books.
type of music you prefer - I play Blues, Country and old Standards on the piano, and listen to the same genres.

Ally: It was a pleasure to have you on the blog, John. As we close, please show us your featured book.

Act of Deception (A Doc Brady Mystery)
Genre: Medical Mystery/Thriller
PG-13

Drawing on his years of experience as a practicing surgeon, Dr. Bishop entertains readers using his unique insights into the medical world with all its challenges, intricacies, and complexities, while at the same time revealing the compassion and dedication of health care professionals.

It’s 1995, and Houston orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jim Bob Brady has been sued for medical malpractice; a mysterious infection caused a knee replacement to end up as an amputation. Donovan Shaw, a ruthless plaintiff’s attorney, has taken the case and doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that he and Brady share a number of friends.

And Brady isn’t the only one in his practice being sued. How is Shaw getting his inside information? Can the patients afford to say no to filing lawsuits, even if the claims aren’t valid? Through a series of twists and turns, Brady once again doggedly goes into “sleuth mode” to get to the truth of the matter—even after his life is put in jeopardy. Will he survive, only to find himself at the mercy of the wild and wooly Houston court system? Is this whole mess his fault? Or is there an act of deception involved?

Buy link (kindle and paperback): https://www.amazon.com/Act-Deception-Medical-Thriller-Mystery/dp/1734251123/

Other books in the series: https://www.amazon.com/John-Bishop/e/B07WQJZ8KG

Thanks for stopping by! See you next week...

Share a "Cuppa" with Romantic Fiction Author Judythe Morgan

11/4/2020

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Grab your favorite beverage, put up your feet, and take a moment to recover from election fatigue. Author Judythe Morgan is joining us today with her featured box set of romantic women’s fiction.
Welcome, Judythe! What may I get you to drink?

JM: No coffee, please. I’m a tea-sip, not The University of Texas kind. Though I did attend UT Austin, my alma mater is Western Connecticut State. Here’s the story on a UT tea-sip, if you’re interested.

I drink Irish Breakfast tea. That’s why I’m a tea-sip. Let’s share a cuppa.

Ally: That cuppa is coming right up. While I pour, please share something about yourself with readers.

BIO:

Judythe Morgan was an Army brat then Army wife, which means she's traveled a lot. She's been a teacher, an antiques dealer, former mayor's wife, and sometimes-church pianist.

Mommy to an Old English sheepdog named Finnegan MacCool and a Maltese named Buster, there's always a wild adventure brewing.

Her diverse experiences make her life full, her characters vivid, and her stories authentic and award-winning. Besides fiction, she writes a weekly blog at www.judythewriter.com

Sign up for her free newsletter at https://judythemorgan.com/contact/ to keep up with her latest news and subscriber-only sneak peeks.

Something unique about you: “One thing has never appeared in my bio, I’m a Pickleball player. Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis. A whiffle ball is hit with a paddle bigger than a ping-pong paddle over a tennis court type net set up on a badminton-sized court. I was introduced to the game when we lived in Colorado and played multiple times a week. When it snowed outside, we moved inside to basketball courts, taped off, and set up portable nets. Now I live in Texas and can play outdoors year round.

Not familiar with Pickleball? It’s the fastest growing sport in the United States because it’s easy, it’s social, and it’s exercise. Players of all ages, 6 to 96 love the game. Tournaments are televised on sports networks. Check out the USPA site for all the details. As they say, Pickleball, it’s a dilly!”

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website: https://judythemorgan.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Judythe2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudytheMorgan/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450879.Judythe_Morgan
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judythe-morgan
Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/judythemorgan

INTERVIEW:

Ally: What inspired you to write your featured books?

JM: The story idea came from my days as a Department of Army Civilian at Headquarters, Eighth Army in South Korea. All my stories come from a combination of my experiences and my fantasies.

These PROMISES series books are completely fictional, but actual historical events blend with many of my treasured memories from my days in South Korea. You’ll find these primarily throughout the first book, Love in the Morning Calm. You can read specific details about what to look for here: https://judythemorgan.com/behind-the-books/#promises_series

In the other three books, you’ll also find places from my days in East Tennessee and my years as an antiques dealer.

Ally: Do the people in your real life show up in your writing? In what way?

JM: You know that saying, Be careful or you’ll end up in my next novel. It’s my standard warning to friends and family whenever we’re together.
My characters do usually begin with a real person. Someone I know personally and/or people I’ve never met like actors or authors or politicians—all serve as entry points for my fictional character development.
I frequently use friends and family names, but never without their permission and the promise of an acknowledgement.

Ally: What three books in your genre would you recommend to fans (after they’ve read your books, of course!).

JM: I'm always delighted to share books that I have enjoyed. I write in multiple genres – contemporary romance, inspirational romance, military romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction so my reading choices are varied. Here are three titles I’ve read recently and thoroughly enjoyed.

First is Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End, an anthology of second chance romances. A boxed set with fourteen romantic short stories authored by NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors, the stories will leave you smiling and longing for a romantic beach. I enjoyed every one of them.

For romantic suspense readers, I recommend debut author Kim Ford’s Searching for Eden. An outstanding first novel filled with sizzling romance and suspense.

For military romance readers who love wounded warrior troupes, I recommend USA Today bestselling author Jessica Scott. She’s an Iraq war veteran, active duty army officer and wife to a retired First Sergeant. She knows what she’s writing about. Because of You, first in her eleven book series, is an emotionally packed love story in an authentic setting and some surprising laugh out loud moments. I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series.

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

JM: I’ll be finishing my sweet and clean romance series about the Fitzpatrick Family, Eight preacher kids, each with a sweet romance story of his or her own. I’m excited to get back to small town romance.

Two books are out – When Love Blooms and When Love Returns. When Love Endures will be released first quarter 2021, and When Love Trusts in the second quarter.

From suspense and military romance to sweet romance, I’m not called an eclectic writer without reason.

Ally: Which of the short answer questions did you choose?

JM:

most watched tv show: NCIS. I love Gibb’s rules. They serve me well. Rule #18: It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission. Probably TMI.
most beloved comic book character: Superman The TV series always began with “Look! Up in the Sky! It’s Superman…Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and use his amazing powers in a never-ending battle for truth and justice and the American way.” Loved that quote!
favorite comfort food: Plain M&Ms. Always have them handy because nothing calms like a handful of M&Ms
Your pets: A ninety pound Old English Sheepdog name after the Irish giant Finnegan MacCool and a ten pound rescue Maltese named Buster. Guess who’s boss in our pet world.
best place you’ve ever visited: Ireland. I’ve been nine times and love the countryside and the people. That’s why you find Irish characters in all my books.

Ally: A pleasure to chat with you, Judythe. Before you leave us, please tell us something about your featured box set.

The PROMISES Series Books 1-4 BOXED SET
Genre: Military Romance/Women’s Fiction
Heat Rating: PG-13

Lily Johnson met Green Beret Alex Cabot and Captain David Sands at Eighth Army Headquarters, South Korea, during the Vietnam War and their lives were irreversibly united. Promises they make to themselves and each other bound them forever.

Love in the Morning Calm
The Pendant’s Promise
Until He Returns
Promises to Keep

Buy Link ($.99 for a limited time): Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/PROMISES-Boxed-Set-Books-1-4-ebook/dp/B08L167T5W/

Thanks for stopping! Will I see you next week?

Author Anna M Taylor Brings a Ghostly Tale to the Coffee Chat

10/14/2020

Welcome, Booklovers!

On this beautiful autumn day in the Midwest, I’ve moved the Coffee Chat to the deck. Pull up a chair and join us. Today’s guest is Anna M. Taylor with her featured Gothic romance, A Little in Love with Death. Sounds like a terrific Halloween read!

Good morning, Anna. What may I get you to drink?

AMT: Tea straight, no chaser. And thank you for the opportunity to be a guest on your blog.

Ally: My pleasure. I’ll prepare our drinks while you share your background with readers.

Bio:

Anna M. Taylor is the gothic romance and women's fiction penname of Anna Taylor Sweringen, a retired United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church USA minister. She has been writing seriously since joining Romance Writers of America in 2003. Her first published work appeared in 2008 under her inspirational romance penname, Anna Taylor. Her first erotic romance was published in 2016 with The Wild Rose Press as Michal Scott. Her Haunted Harlem contemporary gothic romance series launched in June 2020.

Ally: Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I wrote X-Files fan fiction for years under the pseudonym Rev Anna.”

Author contact links:

Website: https://annamtaylor.webs.com /
Twitter: https://twitter.com/revannable
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2667164-anna
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/AnnaM.Taylor/e/B0894LFCTV?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/annamtaylorAuthor/

INTERVIEW:

Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?

AMT: The inspirational romance writers chapter I belonged to had a program called Finish the Book. If you finished a book within one calendar year, one of the published members would critique the first twenty-five pages. I finished my WIP on December 31st. The review I received was very encouraging so I entered it into the chapter contest and to my pleasant surprise, won second place. At about that time RWA had doubled down on its serious intent criteria to maintain your general membership in the organization. Back then that meant proof you were submitting, so I sent my story to an inspirational publishing line. I figured I’d receive a rejection and then could apply for PRO status. Instead the book was accepted. Thus my publishing career was launched.

Ally: What's the best writing/marketing advice you can pass on to other writers?

AMT: Marketing should be an extension of your creativity, not an added on chore. Once you think of it in this way, you’ll naturally find the marketing activity or activities that are fun and energizing for you.

Ally: What three books in your genre would you recommend to fans (after they’ve read your books, of course!).

AMT: Eve Silver’s Dark Desires, Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca and Louisa May Alcott’s A Long Fatal Love Chase (not a romance but definitely a fabulous gothic love story).

Ally: Describe what you would consider the perfect get-away weekend.

AMT: My husband, I and our cats in a hotel in the country that has paths where he and I can go on nature walks, a pool for late night swims, room service galore and two queen-sized beds so we can snuggle on one when we want then have our own when one of us (mainly me) needs to be writing but the other wants to sleep.

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

AMT: I’ve got two slated for Valentine’s Day. The first is the third novella in my Haunted Harlem series entitled 10,000 Midnights Ago. A young woman disappointed by love in the present is lured into the past by the promise of love. The second is the first novella in my Hot Haunted Harlem series which I’ll be writing under my Michal Scott erotic romance penname. A sexually repressed woman in her forties finds release with a ghost haunting the Hamilton Grange. It’s a race to see which one or if both hit that release date.

Ally: Which questions did you choose for the lightning round?

AMT:

Memorable book you’ve read – Beverly Jenkins’ Topaz
Most watched tv show – Love It Or List It
A movie you’ll always remember – A Raisin in the Sun
Favorite comfort food – Mint chocolate chip Smashmallows
Favorite quote – “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
A supernatural ability you’d love to have – the ability to heal all diseases mental, emotional, spiritual and physical

Ally: Thanks for visiting the blog, Anna. It was a pleasure to meet you. Before you go, can you give us a peek at your featured book?

A Little in Love with Death
Pub date: Oct. 31, 2020
Genre: Gothic romance
Heat level: sweet

Ten years ago no one -- not even the man who said he loved her -- believed Sankofa Lawford's story of being attacked by a ghost. Ten years later a new ghostly assault brings her back home to a mother going mad, a brother dangling at his wits’ end and a former love wanting a second chance. She’s at a loss what to do because the painful memories of her own attack prove stronger than her desire to heal her family or to find love again.

Mitchell Emerson believes science and reason can account for the ghostly happenings at Umoja House. He seeks a rational explanation that will prove him right and hopefully regain Sankofa’s trust and love. Instead what he learns leaves his own beliefs shattered.

Now reluctant allies, Mitchell and Sankofa uncover years of lies that threaten to pull them apart until help comes from an unexpected ally: the ghost itself.

Pre-Order/Buy link:
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Little-Love-Death-Haunted-Harlem-ebook/dp/B08JD5FD16/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+little+in+love+with+death+anna+taylor+sweringen&qid=1601482330&sr=8-1

Thanks for stopping! Will I see you next week?

Author Herbert Grosshans Brings Mystery to the Coffee Chat

9/23/2020

Good morning, Booklovers!

Pull up a chair and help me welcome today’s guest author, Herbert Grosshans, bringing us his featured mystery book, Bullet of Revenge.
It is so nice to meet you, Herbert. What may I get you to drink?

HG: I don’t drink coffee, but I drink Tea. No sugar or milk.

Ally: Well, that’s easy. Please tell readers about your background while I fill our cups.

Bio:

Herbert was born in Germany. Even as a young boy he was already a voracious reader. He read every book in the small School library at least three times. His favorite books were stories about heroes and gods. He loved the old legends. At age fourteen, a friend gave him a Science Fiction book and he fell in love with that genre, but he also loved Westerns and Mysteries. He was one of the first members of the Science Fiction Club Deutschland.

In his early twenties, he immigrated to Canada. He began reading books written in English and studied to become proficient in this new language. And there was no better way to learn than to also write. Writing became his passion, and he enjoyed making his fertile imagination come alive in his stories. With the arrival of computers and the internet it became a lot easier to write, and, most importantly, to get published.

His first full length novel ‘Daughter of the Dark’, Book one of his ‘The Xandra’ series was published in 2006 by Midnight Showcase. So far, Herbert has published more than 30 books in different genres, the majority in science fiction. Most of Herbert’s stories contain erotica and are for adult readers. His books are available from his publisher Melange Books, LLC, but also from Amazon and other outlets. To find out more about Herbert’s books, please, visit his website and his blog.

Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “When I was about 10 years old, I ate a sparrow and a crow. Around the same time I was thrown from a stallion.”

Author Contacts:

Website: http://www.fictitioustales.weebly.com/
Blog: http://www.hegro.blogspot.com/
Blog 2:http://www.hergros.blogspot.com/
Publisher: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/herbertgrosshans/index.html

INTERVIEW:

Ally: What inspired you to write your featured book?

HG: I was sitting in a mall waiting for my wife to come out of a shoe store. As I sat there, bored with nothing to do but wait, my mind began to wander and this idea popped into my head. I made a few notes and that was the beginning of another story. Many of my stories start with a sentence that I jot down. That’s all I need to get my imagination going.

Ally: How did you get your first book or story published?

HG: I sent my erotic short story ‘The Anniversary Gift’ to Midnight Showcase for their Anthology ‘Sweet Revenge’, featuring erotic stories by different authors. That was in 2005. My story was accepted and while taking part in a live chat with the publisher Jewel Adams and other authors, I read a short excerpt from my full-length novel ‘Daughter of the Dark’. They encouraged me to send it in. I did and it was accepted. That was the beginning of my career as a writer.

Ally: Do you write with a theme or message in mind?

HG: No. I write stories to entertain my readers, not to teach them. I hate message songs and message stories.

Ally: Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing?

HG: I never know the ending. In fact, most of the time when I write a story, I have no idea where I’m going and how it will end. I let the characters tell their story. I travel with them on their adventure and I record the journey.

Ally: Do you write on a desktop, laptop or on paper? Does it make a difference whether it’s a first or last draft?

HG: It depends where I am. When I’m not at home, I write on paper. When I sit in our sunroom or living room, I write on a laptop. My main computer is in my office in the basement, that’s when I write on a desktop. All of my computers are linked so I just transfer my writing back and forth between them. I do the final formatting on my desktop, because it has the better word program.

Ally: What is your next writing project?

HG: Right now, I am working on Book Three in my Science Fiction series Operation Stargate. So far, the title is The Aregon Files, which will most likely be the final title. I’m at 67,000 words and aiming for 90,000 plus. I only have a vague idea how it will end. So far, my stories always came together in the end. Sometimes it took more than one book, that’s how a series was born, but I’m trying to get everything done in one book now.
I don’t know when it will be finished. I hope my publisher accepts it and then we’ll see.

Ally: Which quick answer questions did you choose?

HG:

a. Most beloved comic book character: Batman. When I was a teenager in Germany, one of the American GIs gave me a comic book featuring Batman. He became my first comic book hero. I cut a batman-symbol out of a piece of linoleum and made a stamp out of it. My friend and I sewed batman costumes and we wore them proudly at a summer camp, much to the envy of our other friends. At least that’s what we assumed. Perhaps they thought we were a couple of idiots, but that is something I’ll never know now.
b. What type of music do you prefer? I live in the past when it comes to music. I love the music of the sixties, seventies, even the eighties. Jimmy Reeves, Marty Robbins, Elvis Presley, Barbara Mandrell, the Everly Brothers. Abba. Just to name a few. I can’t get warm to modern music. The melody and the singers all sound the same to me and I can’t understand a word of the lyrics.
c. The best thing a book fan has ever said to you: One fan sent me an email telling me I’m her new favorite author. She compared my books to the books by David Gerrold. Another one wrote that she loved my books so much that she sent my name to FictFact’s list of authors. She was surprised I hadn’t been on it. One my newest fans told me ‘Bullet of Revenge’ would make a great movie. That would be nice.
d. Your hobbies? I have many. Too many. Besides writing, I love to draw; I have tropical fish; I do gardening; I love the outdoors, like hunting and fishing, picking mushrooms; woodworking; making wine and beer. I love cooking soups. I have no time to get bored.
e. If you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do? I think I’d like to try my hand on sculpturing. I’ve done a little of that and what I made was pretty good. Perhaps it would be nice to go back to reading. I have no time for that now, except for ‘how-to’ books.

Ally: Learning such interesting things about you and your career has been fun, but our time is almost up.

HG: Thanks for having me. It’s been a pleasure to answer your questions.

Ally: One last thing, we still need to show readers your mystery novel, Bullet of Revenge.

Bullet of Revenge
Genre: Mystery
Rating: PG-13

When PI Frank Hummer takes on a new case to help a woman in distress, he soon finds himself in a web of lies and deception. Ghosts from the past reach out toward him, demanding atonement for the things he committed a decade ago, things he tried hard to forget.

Excerpt:  http://www.melange-books.com/authors/herbertgrosshans/BulletOfRevenge.html

You can find Bullet of Revenge here:

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/663129
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Revenge-Herbert-Grosshans/dp/1612354246/
Publisher: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/herbertgrosshans/BulletOfRevenge.html
B & N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bullet-of-revenge-herbert-grosshans/1111202591?ean=9781612354248

Thanks for stopping. See you next week!

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