Bogey Nights

Bogey Nights by Marja McGraw is the story of Chris and Pamela Cross. These restaurateurs are struck by tragedy when their 1940’s themed restaurant, Good Joe’s Honky Tonk burns to the ground, leaving their workers unemployed and themselves on the hunt for a new location. When Chris comes across an old rambler that suits their needs, the pair pick it up and begin renovations. Unfortunately, it wasn’t only the construction crew doing the digging and the pair’s labs, Sherlock and Watson attempt to dig up a concrete slab found in a detached cellar. With some help of their friend and contractor Big D, the concrete is broken up and a body is discovered.

Chris, a dead ringer for Humphrey Bogart and, indulges his natural curiosity and talks Pamela into trying to solve the murder. Pamela plays along with her new husband and the antics begin. From a spry 90 yr old who looks decades younger than her years, to the enthusiasm of her 7 yr old son Mikey, Pamela is kept on her toes while she and Chris continue the renovations on the new restaurant, Mikey’s stories at school wreaking havoc with his teacher and trying to balance her distaste for a nosey reporter who is dating Big D, she keeps the home fires burning while digging up the dirt on their entombed corpse. Throw in another body, busy-body relatives of corpse number one and a budding friendship with the detective assigned to the case and you’ve got a rousing old fashioned murder mystery with a modern feel.

What I like about this book.

I like the 40’s feel to the story. I like most of the characters involved and I like the interaction between them.

What I don’t like about this book.

There were a few spots where it seemed to drag. Personally I would have preferred to see more action in the story. Told from Pamela’s perspective, it would have been nice to have a bit more depth to her character and to feel her emotions come through with more strength.

I was born and raised in Southern California. My family traces back to the 1850s, so my roots are definitely planted in California. Consequently, so are most of my stories.

I worked in both criminal and civil law enforcement for several years. With a few other jobs under my belt, and several years as a divorced, single parent, I have a fairly well-rounded life education. That's a polite way of saying life can be tough, but I was tougher.

I owned my own business for a short while -- an antique store/tea room in Oregon. The store was fun, but my timing was lousy. Draw your own conclusions on that one.

I've lived in California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska and now Arizona, but most of my life was spent in California and Nevada. After thirty years of being divorced, I met and married my husband. All things seem to happen for a reason, and in their own time, even if we don't always understand what's going on while life leads us on our journey.

My writing career began with Secrets of Holt House - A Mystery. I followed up with A Well-Kept Family Secret - A Sandi Webster Mystery and the beginning of a series. Bubba's Ghost  andPrudy's Back! followed shortly. These Sandi Webster mysteries were followed by The Bogey Man and Old Murders Never Die.
Bogey Nights is the first in the Bogey Man series, and will soon be followed by Bogey's Ace in the Hole (February, 2012).

Each of these mysteries contains a little humor, a little romance and A Little Murder! The Sandi Webster Mysteries and The Bogey Man Mysteries concentrate on the characters and solving the crimes rather than the crime itself.

I enjoy thinking up quirky characters and once in a while I find someone who touches my heart or my funny bone. Sandi has a very menopausal mother and Chris has a rather eccentric mother, and I can relate to both of them in one way or another. In an upcoming book (no release date yet)  you'll read about a set of older twins who thrive on driving each other nuts. I had a great time writing about a "lawsuit queen" in one of the books. And I've added a few quirky dogs to liven things up even more.

My husband and I now live in a small community in Arizona, where we enjoy sunshine and very warm weather (translates toextremely hot), and we alternate between laughter and frustration over our two yellow Labrador retrievers. If you readMarley & Me by John Grogan, believe me, it's all true.

The Bogey Man Mysteries are available at:
Amazon.com
Oak Tree Press
Barnes & Noble
Or you can ask for them at your favorite bookstore

A Child of Silence

4 out of 5 stars for Child of Silence by Abigail Padgett

Child of Silence by Abigail Padgett

When someone tries to kill a deaf, four-year-old boy found in the dusty canyons of Southern California, child abuse investigator Bo Bradley vows to save the boy and unearth the truth.



Child of Silence is the complex story of Barbara Bradley. Bo, as she is known, is a social worker with San Diego County's Child Protective Services. She’s also a manic-depressive who battles mightily to keep her condition a secret even as she fights through her over-sized case load, a demanding boss and the sorrows that chase her as a result of her baby sister’s suicide. Add to the mix, Bo’s newest client, an abandoned child found on the Barona Indian Reservation, and you have a tale that is filled with rich history, complex story lines and a cast of characters intertwined in a book that will keep you reading to the very end.

I found this enthralling story as I was trolling free books on Smashwords. Now we’ve all heard how self-publishing is the downfall to quality fiction and how indie-authors are ruining the book industry by publishing the crap any self-respecting publisher would not even consider. I admit, I’ve run across more than a few examples of such writing while trolling for free books. So what keeps me doing it? Authors like Abigail Padgett who create high-quality work like A Child of Silence. Now Abigail Padgett is not what I consider an indie-author, nor is this a new piece of work for her. This is a reprint of the original book which was published 1994. It was her debut and what a way to start her career. Trust me when I tell you this story is worth your time and worth a great deal more than it’s free price tag.

What I like about this book

 The characters are believable and the story is full of detail. From Indian history to insights into how a manic-depressive’s mind works, from politics to class differences, from family guilt to teaching a deaf child how to sign colors, Padgett paints vivid pictures in each scene  that will keep you mesmerized.

 What I didn’t like about this book

I would have liked to see some of the characters flushed out even more than they were. I’d also like to see the ending expanded so we get a better picture of what happens to some of the characters we’ve come to like to much after the story ends. This is not to say the characters are one-dimensional or the ending unsatisfactory because that isn’t the case. Rather, it’s to say this author could have gone just a bit further with the story and taken it from a very good book to a really fantastic book.


Pick up your copy of Child of Silence at Smashwords, Amazon or Barnes & Noble.


Biography

Abigail Padgett grew up in Vincennes, IN, and holds degrees from Indiana University, the University of Missouri and Washington University, St.Louis. She has taught high school English and college courses in Sociology and Creative Writing in San Diego and Boston, directed an ACLU chapter in Houston and worked as an advocate for the mentally ill, plus enduring some truly weird temp jobs.

Abbie is the author of seven highly acclaimed mystery novels that have been translated into five languages, one novel among which, CHILD OF SILENCE, was made into a movie in France. (Which must have been challenging, since the novel's action takes place in the California desert and features Native American Paiute people.) Her eighth and latest mystery, BONE BLIND, is set in the Boston suburb of Newton, where two horror novelists and a detective just months short of retirement investigate a decades-old unsolved murder the spin from which proves even more deadly than the original crime.

Beta by Steven L Brayton

5 Stars for Beta By Steven L Brayton

Synopsis:

Private Investigator Mallory Petersen, a fourth degree black belt with her own taekwondo school in Des Moines, Iowa, splits her time between teaching martial arts and her often inane cases. It's not that she wants bad things to happen to people, but it makes life more interesting when they do.

When Mallory accepts a case to find Cheryl McGee’s kidnapped eight year old daughter, she is pulled into the dark underworld of child pornography. The trail soon leads to the Quad Cities, where Mallory partners with an officer from the Special Case Squad.

As the investigation deepens, Mallory discovers there is more to the girl's disappearance than her client lets on.

Beta is a book I enjoyed reading even as it made me cringe. The subject matter itself is every parent’s nightmare. A child disappears into thin air while playing at a local playground. Mallory Petersen sets out on a journey to not only find the missing girl but also to bring those responsible for her abduction to justice…even when it’s her own brand of justice. During her search, Mallory uncovers a seedy side to society that breaks her heart and strengthens her resolve to find young Cindy McGee. Join Mallory and her cast of characters in her travels through the Midwest in a frantic effort to save Cindy from the worst kind of abuse.

 Steven L Brayton has written a book that is sure to wring you emotionally dry. His wry humor shines through in multiple ways even as he writes about a subject matter that most of us hide from. The way he arranged words to create snapshots is a talent that will haunt you with the images he shows you in this story. His talent as a writer is undeniable, as is clearly shown when he makes you feel sorry for one member of a segment of society universally despised.

When you read Beta, you’ll have to remind yourself that it’s a work of fiction. It is a great work of fiction that shines a light on the abuse of our most vulnerable members of society, often at the hands of those most trusted to care for them. It’s a work of fiction that makes you want to turn your head and look the other way because to do otherwise, forces you to acknowledge the widespread nature and the long-term damage of such abuse.

During her search, Mallory visits with her family, handles her black belt academy and hands over some despicable people to the authorities with a flair that’ll have you cheering out loud. Watch her as she walks a fine line between working with the local authorities and subverting them as she races the clock to find a missing little girl.  

Some of the things I like about this book:

·        The characters are fully developed with interests and quirks of their own. No paper doll characters so underdeveloped you don’t know who is who.

·        The plot moves quickly. No long stretches of boring crap where nothing happens.

·        The descriptions are amazing. Even the scenes you’d really rather not see are shown to you in detail that includes a multitude of senses.

Some of the things I don’t like about this book:

·        Steven has a tenancy to use words that are uncommon. While I appreciate learning, I don’t like being thrown out of the story by the need to wander off and find a dictionary.

·        He’s also the king of run-on sentences. Steven’s love of commas will not go unnoticed and while most of the time its fine, there are times when it makes it hard to figure out what a particular sentence is saying.

Purchase Beta at Smashwords, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Book Review Blog

I have an exciting new announcement to share with you. Starting on Saturday, November 19th, I will be switching this blog over to a book review blog. My intention is to review one book each week. (You'll have to cut me some slack of the novel I'm reviewing rivals War and Peace in size!)

If you're interested in having a book reviewed, send me an email that includes a short sample of the book, the genre and the length of the book. I'll let you know if I can review it and give you a tentative date for the review to post. Note that I accept most genres but prefer mystery, romance and paranormal. Email me at angela@angelakroe.com.

Stick around during this exciting change and let me know your thoughts. Keep the comments coming, I love to hear from you!

God Bless,
Angela K Roe

Liz Borino

1.      Tell me about yourself and how you became an author.

Let’s see, I’m twenty four. I would very much appreciate you not looking at my picture and telling me I look sixteen or twelve. J I get that a lot. Anyway, I graduated Hofstra University with my BA in Public Relations and am currently attending West Chester University for English. I love traveling and dream big. I hope to get my PhD in London.

2.      What is the first thing you wrote and do you still have it? Will it ever be published?

I wrote my first novel length manuscript…I think it’s untitled. Yes, I have it. I think if I edited it now, it could be published, but not until. I use it as a yardstick to show how far I’ve come.

3.      What genre do you write most frequently?

The Taylor Twins Series, Expectations, What Money Can’t Buy, and forthcoming Gifts from the Past, and as yet untitled fourth book are all considered Contemporary Romance. My story, Jesse, is part of an erotica anthology, Indulgence. It’s also my first book available in print!!! So….the answer is romance, I guess.

4.      Tell me about your current book.

Alright, I am so excited about Gifts from the Past. Both couples (Matt and Carley and Chris and Aiden) are getting their first tastes of parenthood. Chris and Aiden have a five year old who is physically and emotionally stunted, so he doesn’t walk, talk, or use the bathroom. His sister is eleven months old and thriving. Carley struggles with post-partum depression and Matt deems her a danger to himself and their daughter. This puts him in a very difficult position of deciding what’s best for his family.

5.      Give me a short character sketch of the main characters in your book.

Matt is Chris’s identical twin. He’s in business with Cyndi, his father’s mistress before he had a stroke. In Expectations and What Money Can’t Buy, he fought addiction issues, but he’s really trying to turn his life around and be a good father.

Chris is the one everyone loves. He’s the family man, completely in love with his husband and totally devoted to his children. Every day Chris lives with the pain his father caused him, but with the help of his husband and brother, he’s able to give his father a second chance.

Aiden is Chris’s husband. He, too, survived an abusive past. Aiden is a little more of an independent spirit. Chris had some walls to knock down, but once he did they had a relationship most envy.

6.      Would you want to hang out with your characters? Which ones and why?

Yes! I love my boys! I think I’d like to hang out with Chris and Aiden most to get relationship advice.

7.      Which character or characters gave you the most trouble while working on this book?

Actually, the children. I have little to no interaction with kids (by choice) so, I don’t know what’s appropriate for their ages. Very often I’ll ask my Facebook friends how they are ‘supposed’ to act, what constitutes good parenting, etc.

8.      Do you think they’re pleased with the world you’ve built for them? What changes would they like to see that you won’t put into place?

I think they’d really like me to give them a break once in a while. I barely let them recover from one problem before throwing another, but their generally very happy. I know because otherwise they’d stop talking and I couldn’t write.

9.      Tell us something about yourself that you’ve not shared before, like a favorite memory or a silly writing superstition.

I have a (formerly) white stuffed bunny named Cuddles…that I still sleep with. I don’t sleep as well without something or someone in my arms. So, until I find the someone, Cuddles will have to do.

10.   What’s your favorite saying?

This changes daily, but right now I’m liking, “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are meant for.”

Links:

Expectations

What Money Can’t Buy

Welcome Guest Blogger, Chris Redding

These are entries in a police blotter for a group of local newspapers. The website is www.beenews.com  I found some of them hilarious.

          A Garfield Street man reported that someone smeared grapes on his vehicle, damaging the paint.

Grapes? Really? You couldn’t think of something more inventive than produce?

            Deputies reportedly arrested a driver on Girdle Road when they found him asleep in his vehicle, which was located in a ditch.

Would they have let him sleep if he’d been on the side of the road instead?

A Broadway resident called to say her dog had locked her out of her running car. You can’t make this stuff up.

            Sheriffs investigated a report of a stolen vehicle on Clinton Street. The subject reported that he went to warm up the car and when he returned to it, the vehicle was
gone. It was eventually recovered in Buffalo.

Dude, two words: remote starter.

            A Lancaster business owner reported that a caller ordered food and he could hear laughing in the background. When the owner called back to verify the order, another person answered the phone and threatened to burn down the business. An investigation revealed that a 12-year-old boy made the initial call and his friend answered the return call.

Whatever happened to asking if your refrigerator was running?

            An auto shop owner complained that 200 brake shoe cores, which were
stored in a bin in the parking lot behind the building, were taken.

People will truly steal anything.

I hope you enjoyed these fun police blotter entries.

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, one dog and three rabbits. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. When she isn’t writing, she works part time for her local hospital.

Links:

www.chrisreddingauthor.com

http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor

www.twitter.com/chrisredding

Blonde Demolition Blurb:

You just can't hide from the past...

 Mallory Sage lives in a small, idyllic town where nothing ever happens. Just the kind of life she has always wanted. No one, not even her fellow volunteer firefighters, knows about her past life as an agent for Homeland Security.

 Former partner and lover, Trey McCrane, comes back into Mallory's life. He believes they made a great team once, and that they can do so again. Besides, they don't have much choice. Paul Stanley, a twisted killer and their old nemesis, is back.

Framed for a bombing and drawn together by necessity, Mallory and Trey go on the run and must learn to trust each other again―if they hope to survive. But Mallory has been hiding another secret, one that could destroy their relationship. And time is running out.

Pickin' Blog Topics

Greetings, denizens of earth. Tis I, your fearless soon to be world dominating leader. I have been requested by the mortal, Angela Roe to overtake her "blog" as she calls it and post something for her minions to read. I have done so. Not because she requested it, but because it is…evil. BWAHAHAHAHAHA.

Many people stop me in the street (this is merely a euphemism, most people avoid me on the streets) and ask me, "Oh, fearless leader of mortal man, how do you come up with the often wacky yet entertaining ideas for your blog topics."

The answer my friends is really quite simple. I'm nucking futs.

As most writers will attest the key to coming up with story ideas is an overactive imagination. The same holds true for these little nuggets of entertainment and knowledge sharing we like to call posts. There's really no difference. What most mortal men would consider overactive, I call sleeping. When I'm awake…yeah. Attention span of an attention defecit/ hyperactivity disorder ridden squirrel.

You see, I can't look at ANYTHING without seeing a story somewhere in it. I'll give you an example. Okay, I'll give you an examples using nothing the first thing I see on my desk.

One of those stupid green desk lamps. I do believe they are called "banker's lamps". Why bankers uniformly prefer the color green for their lamps is beyond me, but here it goes:

The year is 1936. Charles Duval sits patiently at his desk outside the Vice President of Colonial national bank. The museum of antiquities next door has paid a hefty price to store a shipment of exports just received from Egypt in their vault. Recently the museum has been plagued by a series of robberies and their paltry vault cannot seem to keep the burglars at bay. Not wanting to lose the crates of potentially priceless items, they struck a deal with VP. Charles' job is to make sure everything remains safe.

He stands as the delivery truck pulls up out front. He smiles greedily as the workmen start unloading and carting everything inside. He ushers them into the vault and directs them to where they should place the trove of treasure. Coincidentally the delivery happens just as the bank closes. Charles ushers the crew and the workers of the bank out the front door and locks it behind them. Rubbing his hands together, he heads for the vault.

Stealing money from the bank would have been unthinkable. Amounts and transactions are too closely monitored. It would be a sure fire way to end his career. Stealing an uncatalogued item from a poorly constructed wooden crate…now that he could get away with.

He opens the first one with little effort.

He reaches in the piles of musty straw.

He pulls out a tarnished brass lamp.

Unable to see his reflection in its cloudy surface, he rubs it on the sleeve of his jacket. Smoke pours from the spout of the lamp. As it shakes he drops it and a misty figure appears before him, legless. Below the waist he is a billowing smoke cloud tied to the spout of the lamp.

"Who are you?"

"I am Delenzial, genii of the lamp. I can grant thee three wishes. Speak your first wish."

"I wish to be president of the bank!"

The genii blinked his eyes and Charles glances around. The first thing he notices is his name etched upon the President's office window next to the vice presidents smaller office.

"What is your second wish?

"I want a house the size of the bank!"

Once again the genii blinked and held out a large brass key with an address etched upon its surface. Greedily the man took it from him.

"What is your third wish?"

Charles' greed had no limits.

"I want all the power of a genii!"

Charles looked down as his legs disappeared into a green cloud of vapors. He could feel power surging through his body even as he felt him being tugged towards his desk.

"What's going on?"

"You asked to be a genii. I granted your final wish. Good luck, my brother," the genii said and disappeared into his lamp.

Charles watched as he floated helplessly toward his desk. The tip of the vaporous cloud his body had become angled up and attached itself to the new, green banker's lamp on his desk. Inch by inch he felt his very soul being sucked into the brass tube.

Then there was darkness.

Charles began his long wait.