Mysterical-E

Author Snapshot

FUN AND INTERESTING

For this issue, I'm offering an eclectic mix of fun and interesting reads, short to long fiction and nonfiction, that'll take you to the circus, the corner cafe, the French Riviera, and more. Many of the offerings are also on Kindle and available for the Nook. So load up your e-readers and enjoy!

This new anthology features a fun assortment of stories set at or around the "Corner Cafe," after all, isn't the local eatery the place to get all the gossip and find out what's really going on around town? THE CORNER CAFE: A TASTY COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES (Kindle and coming in other formats) features assorted stories by 15 authors including Marian Allen, Shonell Bacon, Karen Casey Fitzjerrell, Helen Ginger, WS Gager, Dani Greer, SB Lerner, Audrey Lintner, Morgan Mandel, Maryann Miller, Bodie Parkhurst, Mary Montague Sikes, Bob Sanchez, Red Tash and Christine Verstraete. Cover by Sherry Wachter.
(NOTE: If you have a Nook, you can often convert titles to the epub format using the free Calibre software. You can also buy an Android chip for Nook (under $25) which includes the Kindle and other apps.)

** Get more information on the e-book beginning June 4 at the Blog Book Tours blog, http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com

Stories include:
* "The Catfish Enchantment" by Marian Allen: Cosmo’s father deserted the family and died unforgiven, his mother is sinking into depression, he’s started cutting himself to relieve the pain, and his boss suggests…a tattoo?
* In "I Wanna Get Off Here," by Shonell Bacon, a bus driver with a dream to write must first unchain herself from a relationship and inner thoughts that keep her hopes from coming to pass.
* In "What's Next" By Karen Casey Fitzjerrell, a young woman who sees herself drifting aimlessly through life, hires a crop dusting pilot to fly her over the Gulf of Mexico in the middle of the night and is enlightened by "What's Next" in her life.
* "The Eyes Have It" by W.S. Gager: Crimebeat reporter Mitch Malone hates going to church, but when he gets rooked into speaking to the Bible-toting ladies, he may be facing the devil himself as he investigates the prayer group's missing purses.
* "Gila Monster" by Helen Ginger: Neree parked her beat-up truck, Gila Monster, in the senior parking lot, hoping it'll still be there at the end of school. Instead, she finds an unexpected possibility...
* "One Last Run" by Helen Ginger: When a couple ski a black diamond run in a blizzard, the truth of what happened is in the blood.
* In "Saturday Night Special" by Dani Greer, a jaded old codger learns it's relationships old and new that make the Corner Cafe a treasure, not just the down-home cooking.
* Also by Dani Greer: When Mick decides to apply for "A New Job," he discover one too many damning things about the Corner Cafe manager.
* Also by Dani Greer: Nell Crisp likes the ambiance and Wi-Fi at the Corner Cafe, but little does she know it will be her "Home Away From Home" when the police pay a visit.
* In "Since You Left" by S.B. Lerner, a young lawyer is unsettled by a phone call from an old boyfriend, and forced to make a decision.
* In "What Nice Blessings" by Morgan Mandel, tragedy strikes a young adult, testing her courage and teaching her the value of friendship.
* In "The Consequences of Breaking and Entering" by Audrey Lintner, Goldilocks gets an update and her comeuppance."
* "The Closing of the Corner Cafe" by Morgan Mandel describes the rise and fall of a cherished eating establishment.
* "Over the Threshold" by Maryann Miller mixes a bit of Raymond Chandler noir with "The Twilight Zone."
"* Love Song with Holsteins" by Bodie Parkhurst is about Halloween, magic, Russell the dairy bull, love, and the private memorials we make to it.
* "In A Face in the Window" by Mary Montague Sikes, can Arianna ever forget the tragic loss that changed her life, especially on the 10th anniversary spent in a museum where memories lurk in the art and later among the shadows of the Corner Cafe?
* In "Living Well," Red Tash gently pokes fun at the Star Trek fan culture and the ups and downs of long-term love, in the fan-favored setting of This Brilliant Darkness' Corner Cafe.
* In "You Can't Be Too Careful" by Bob Sanchez, George prepares for the expected Y2K catastrophe.
* In "Perfect Timing" by Christine Verstraete, a rescued pup helps cafe owner Gina Mason find love and thwart a would-be robber.

DEATH LEGACY (Five Star print) by Jacqueline Seewald

Called to the French Riviera for business under mysterious circumstances‚ Michelle Hallam meets Dr. Daniel Reiner‚ a handsome young psychiatrist. They have a strong physical attraction but Michelle remains wary of being involved with him. Daniel’s friendly‚ warm personality and urbane wit stands in contrast to Michelle’s outward façade of cool cynicism.

In New York‚ Michelle reconnects with Dr. Reiner when she sends him a referral. Her client‚ Nora Parker‚ has asked Michelle to look into the suspicious disappearance and possible death of her husband. The complex case involves both Michelle and Daniel in espionage‚ international intrigue‚ and murder‚ placing their lives in jeopardy.

"My favorite part of writing this novel was doing the research," says Seewald. "I learned a lot about actual spies and their technology. I also injected humor into the romance scenes and that was a lot of fun. - http://www.lldreamspell.com/JacquelineSeewald.htm

Excerpt:
Here's a section from the third chapter where the mystery actually begins:

When summer turned into autumn, he despaired that his mystery woman would never contact him. He tried dating a few other women, but felt no real interest. Finally, one day in late October when the rain was coming down in gunmetal gray torrents, something happened that made her burst through his mind again like dammed waters at flood stage.

A new patient came to see him. She appeared to be in a highly agitated state. He tried to set her at ease as quickly as possible. His assistant handed him her form to peruse. The woman’s name was Nora Jane Parker, fifty-two years of age, married, and the mother of two adult children. She had never visited a psychiatrist before. He saw that the space requesting the name of a referring physician had been left blank.

“Mrs. Parker, who referred you to me?”

She wrung her delicately flowerlike hands. “Someone who said she thought you were the sort of doctor who could help with my problem.” She leaned forward in her chair and then spoke in a barely audible whisper. “You will be discreet, won’t you?”

“All conversations between doctor and patient are held in the strictest confidence.” He spoke in his most reassuring, professional manner. “Our communications are privileged.”

She smiled and seemed a bit more at ease.

“Just for the record, may I have the name of your friend?”

“I’d rather not say. You don’t know her name anyway.”

“Yet she knows mine? How come?”

Mrs. Parker seemed nervous again. “She said you’d met each other under unusual circumstances this summer.”

DREAM ANGEL, a new novella (Kindle) by http://www.eclectics.com/denise/index.html Mary Ellen Dennis (Denise Dietz)

The Irish can only love once! In Paris, 1850, Sean Kelley had a dream. He wanted to own a traveling circus, the finest in the world. He wanted to work for P.T. Barnum’s Museum in New York City, America. Someday, when Sean had learned all he could about showmanship, he wanted to establish The Sean Kelley Circus. And he wanted Angelique for his circus.

He does all that, but Angelique is promised to another. When her cruel aunt is found clawed by one of the seven cats and stabbed to death, Angelique becomes the number one suspect. She poses as singer Jenny Lind's ("The Swedish Nightingale") personal assistant and follows Sean across the US. This is the prequel novella to the 1875 circus novel, The Greatest Love on Earth, starring Angelique’s equestrian daughter, Calliope.

Excerpt:
A hungry Tuesday meowed and rubbed against Angelique’s drawn-up legs. Thursday was asleep atop Angelique’s belly. Friday played with a ball of yarn while Monday chased a billiard ball. None of the cats, including Sunday, Saturday and Wednesday, seemed perturbed by Angelique’s shuddering sighs and sobs.

KILLING WAYS, Stories by Steve Torres (Kindle), http://www.steventorres.com/

Torres, Connecticut author of the Precinct Puerto Rico series, shares his "life of crime" in his first collection of stories he calls "10 Tales of Tough Predicaments." From psychotics and con men, to a most unusual death, these stories run the gamut of dark crime.

Some of the selection:
    * "The Most Dangerous Man in New York City: 1969-1977": In the first Ray Cruz story, Ray takes on the Italian mob - all of it - and doesn't do too badly.
    * "Daughters" – Out of jail, Ray doesn't want to return to his life of crime, but the man he's asked to care for earns Ray's very violent hate.
   * "Viktor Petrenko, ex-Soviet special forces and current New York City tough guy also features in several stories including one flash fiction story. In "Family," there's good results when Viktor rescues a baby. Bad results for everyone else.
* In an excerpt from MAN OF DISASTER, a novel in progress coming soon, scientists on the run from paid assassins involve Viktor in their troubles, and when the love of his life, Elena is threatened, Viktor responds the only way he knows how – murderously.

THE MYSTERY WRITERS by Jean Henry Mead http://www.jeanhenrymead.com/

The Mystery Writers (Medallion Press, print and e-book) is a 406-page resource full of advice and interviews from 60 mystery authors. Categories and authors include:
SUSPENSE: James Scott Bell, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Joan Hall Hovey, Ellis Viler, Cheryl Kaye Tardif.
CRIME NOVELS: Lawrence Block, J.A. Jance, Bruce DeSilva, Diana Fanning, Craig McDonald, Geraldine Evans.
POLICE PROCEDURALS: Leighton Gage, Alafair Burke, Martin Edwards, Pat Brown, Marilyn Meredith, Bob Sanchez, Maryann Miller.
THRILLERS: Robert Liparulo, Vicki Hinze, Shane Gericke, Timothy Hallinan, Lise Glendon.
PRIVATE EYES: Sue Grafton, Randy Rawls, Mark Troy.
NOIR: Vincent Zandri, Roger Smith.
TRADITIONAL MYSTERIES: Sandra Parshall, Gerrie Ferris Finger, Madeline (M.M.) Gornell, Earl Staggs, Holli Castillo, Alan Orloff.
HISTORICAL MYSTERIES: Julie Garwood, Ann Parker, Nancy Means Wright.
CONTEMPORARY WESTERN MYSTERIES: Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson, Curt Wendleboe.
HUMOROUS MYSTERIES: Lois Winston, J. Michael Orenduff, Rebecca (R.P.) Dalke, Marja McGraw, Susan Santangelo, Ann Charles, W.S. Gager, Chris Redding.
COZIES: Elizabeth Spann Craig, Anne K. Albert, Ron Benrey, Maggie Bishop.
AMATEUR SLEUTHS: John M. Daniel, Margaret Koch, Jacqueline King, Lou Allin, Karen E. Olson, Pat Browning, Leslie Diehl, Sunny Frazier, Jinx Schwartz

Also of Note:

King's River Life Magazine offers short stories and author interviews. New stories are published every Saturday. http://kingsriverlife.com