#IWSG - Good News

It's the 1st Wednesday. Happy Insecure Writers Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts:   Nancy Gideon, Tamara Narayan, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Michelle Wallace, and Feather Stone!

Before I get to my own good news, IWSG had some, too. Be sure to check out the new anthology Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life. 

Congratulations to the authors: Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.

My Good News

Last month, I announced I'd finished my work-in-progress. My news this month is that my novel has been published. The Case of the Meddling Mama took so long, in comparison to how I usually write. It was a source of frustration, mainly because I couldn't understand why I dogged around on it. Once I buckled down (so to speak) and pushed myself, I finished it and got it off to my wonderful free-lance editor. She found little that needed changing. Whew! Quite a few typos and some grammar stuff. I love that kind of editing. How many of you remember the ad that stated "We serve no wine before its time." (I might not have gotten that correct, but I'm guessing you might know it.)  Perhaps, this was the right time for that story.

In other news, we are home from Arizona. Again. Loved being able to celebrate our granddaughter's 2nd birthday. Her parents are bringing her up right. They read to her at night. And during the day. In fact, whenever she'll sit still. Needless to say, her grandmother read to her often, too. 

The optional question this month: What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story?

That is a great question. For The Case of the Meddling Mama I researched drugs, both legal (prescription) drugs and the illegal ones. One of the characters (a teen) was convinced his buddy was using drugs. I needed to know what kinds of drugs high school kids would take and the dangers they faced. Without being preachy (I hope), I let my readers know some of the ways kids get drugs. Working in a serious topic when my mysteries are light and humorous was a challenge. I hope I did justice to it.

I learned quite a bit about drugs, but what really freaked me out were the pop-up messages. Most had advice about conquering drug addiction and where help was available. Was Big Brother watching me? 

Blurb

Go on an adventure with PI Alex O'Hara as she solves another case. Nick's mother has moved in with Alex, putting a crimp in Nick and Alex's romance. What's a girl to do? At least her new case is an easy one.

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

#WeWriWa - #8Sunday The Case of the Meddling Mama: The Mother

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hops for everyone who loves to read and write! Writers share an 8 to10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other writers. You can find them here.

My snippet is from my newly-released The Case of the Meddling Mama an Alex O'Hara Novel, third in my PI mystery series. Apologies for the creative punctuation, which was done to keep within the sentence limit. 

From Ginnie, I learned the following about Karl Trimmer: thirty-two, computer programming consultant, worked at home—in a new condo in Country Club Estates, a new development north along the lakeshore.

“Where did he live before that—an apartment?”

“No, he lived at home.”

Although I was surprised, I had to remember how bad the economy had been a few years ago—a lot of people fresh out of college or who’d lost jobs moved home.

“I wondered about that, too,” Ginnie tapped her short, no polish nails on the chair arm, “His mother has health issues, and since Karl’s an only child, he took care of her.”

“And what changed that he moved out—did she die, or move into a nursing home?”

“Oh, nothing like that, he hired a homecare worker to stay with her during the day--his mother can get around with a walker, and Karl got her one of those medical alert necklaces, so she can call for help if she needs it.”

“Are you concerned about her disability?”

“Maybe a little, she’s only fifty-two and I don’t understand her illness, but Karl said it can be debilitating, and . . .”

The Case of the Meddling Mama released last Monday. It's available at:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords

Blurb:

Once again, Alex O’Hara is up to her ears in mysteries. After surviving an attempted murder, all she wants is R&R time with Nick Palzetti. But his mother leaving his father (“that horse’s patoot”) and moving in with Alex puts a crimp in their plans. Then Nick leaves on assignment and the teen she rescued from an abusive father believes his buddy is doing drugs. Meanwhile, Alex has two easy cases to take her mind off her shaky relationship with Nick—a philandering husband and a background check on a client’s boyfriend. Piece of cake. 

This is the last snippet from The Case of the Meddling Mama. Next week I'll introduce a new story. Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors.  

#WeWriWa #8Sunday - Meddling Mama: Meet Maria

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hops for everyone who loves to read and write! Writers share an 8 to10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other writers. You can find them here.

My snippet is from my upcoming release, THE CASE OF THE MEDDLING MAMA, an Alex O'Hara Novel, third in my PI mystery series. Along with some creative punctuation, it hasn't been edited yet, so suggestions are welcome.

This snippet is from the first chapter and continues after Alex returns from the dress shop.

“Alexandra, is that you?” Maria Palzetti, Nick’s mom and self-appointed office manager, called out as I came in through the back door of the agency.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“It is I,” Maria corrected as she bustled down the hall. Short and a little on the plump side, she always looked stylish. Today, she wore a floral infinity scarf over a soft lavender short-sleeve sweater and a gray skirt. Her salt-and-pepper hair framed her face on which she wore light make-up. “Always remember to use proper English.”

“Yes, Mother,” I said, hoping my grin would take the sting out of my smart-aleck response. After Mom died, Maria had become the closest thing to a mother, even though she never tried to take Mom’s place. Actually, she was my mother-in-law—she just didn’t know it.

And I wasn’t saying.

Last week, I played with the blurb. Not exactly what I want but better than before.

Once again, Alex O’Hara is up to her ears in mysteries. After surviving an attempted murder, all she wants is R&R time with Nick Palzetti. But his mother leaving his father (“that horse’s patoot”) and moving in with Alex puts a crimp in their plans. Then Nick leaves on assignment and the teen she rescued from an abusive father believes his buddy is doing drugs. Meanwhile, Alex has two easy cases to take her mind off her shaky relationship with Nick—a philandering husband and a background check on a client’s boyfriend. Piece of cake.

Be sure to check out the other authors. 

Home Again

Have you ever come home from vacation and felt like you couldn't get back into your old routine? That's how I've felt since returning home after five weeks with my Arizona family. First, spending all day traveling--spending most of it waiting in airports for flights--was so tiring. Getting home after 11 pm (local time, but only 9 on AZ time) meant we should go to bed but stayed up to watch a couple of episodes of Murdoch Mysteries (aka The Artful Detective). Getting this old body used to local time isn't as easy as it used to be. Even though I tried to keep up with blogs, etc. while away from home, it seemed extra hard to get back into routine.

That being said . . . If you're a member of my Facebook Readers Group, then you know I finished the rough draft of THE CASE OF THE MEDDLING MAMA (aka the story that took way too long to complete). If you're a regular reader of this blog, then you know I'm a combo pantser and plotter, heavy on the pantser part. Usually. With this book, I knew the beginning, the dark moment, and the end. I'd even worked out many of the scenes in my mind. So why did it take so long to write? I felt like I knew the whole story. Most readers would say, "Duh. You're the writer. Of course, you know the story."

Not usually.

As a pantser (one who writes by the seat of her/his pants), I don't know the story. I let it unfold as I write. A plotter, on the other hand, knows exactly what's going to happen and when. That takes the fun out of writing, for me. I'll have a vague idea for the story. As I write, I let my characters take the lead. Inspiration takes over. Not so with Meddling Mama. But now it's done and on to revising, editing, and proofing before it goes off  to my fabulous editor.

Also, if you're a member of my Readers Group or read yesterday's Weekend Writing Warrior post, you've seen the cover, If not, here it is.

When my amazing cover artist, Florence Price, and I talked about the cover for the first Alex O'Hara book, we decided to have the covers follow the seasons (since the stories would). As you can see by the tulips in the planters in front of Alex's building and people on the beach but not in the water, it's Spring.

Now it's back-to-work time. Revising, editing, proofing. Again and again.

Have a great week.

#WeWriWa - #8Sunday: The Case of the Meddling Mama

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hops for everyone who loves to read and write! Writers share an 8 to10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other writers. You can find them here.

My snippet this week is from my upcoming release, THE CASE OF THE MEDDLING MAMA, an Alex O'Hara Novel. This book is the third in my cozy mystery series. It hasn't been edited yet. Suggestions are welcome.

The snippet is from the first chapter when Alex is trying on the bridesmaid dress for her friend's (the store owner) wedding.

When two women entered the exclusive dress shop, Ellie left to greet them while her assistant chivvied me to put on the shoes. White socks, black strappy heels, and the gorgeous emerald green bridesmaid dress—I made such a fashion statement as I stood on the platform, call Vogue.

I so didn’t want to be there, especially when I recognized one of the women. I’d been the bearer of bad news to Nora Finley last week—her Mr. Perfect turned out to be a Black Widower. He and his cohorts had the perfect plan, a plan I thwarted just in time.

“Oh, you’re here,” Nora cried out when she spotted me and tugged on her companion’s wrist, practically dragging her over. “Ginnie, this is the PI that saved my life, Alex O’Hara!”

I cringed while heat bloomed in my cheeks.

Nora looked up at me saying, “I’ve been telling Ginnie here that she absolutely must hire you to check out her boyfriend—she met him on one of those online dating sites.”

Ginnie winced, like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her—I knew the feeling.

Rough blurb:

PI Alex O'Hara, just rescued from another kidnapping attack, needs a break to enjoy Nick's attention when his mother shows up, claiming she's left his father, and is moving in with Alex. No way is she sleeping with Nick with his mother down the hall. Her new case, a background check on a potential suitor, is exactly the direction she wants to take the agency. The teen boy they rescued from an abusive stepfather is sure his buddy is doing drugs. And Nick's job takes him away. Again. At least the background check should be a piece of cake.

Be sure to check out the other authors. 

#WeWriWa - #Sunday: Bygone Brother - Killer's Mom

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Writers share an 8 to10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other writers. You can find them here.

This is the last snippet from my PI mystery, The Case of the Bygone Brother, a contemporary cozy, that takes place in a small Lake Michigan resort town. Alex (Alexandra) O'Hara has taken over her dad's investigation agency, struggling to keep it going. Alex and Nick are surveilling a client's husband. This snippet picks up with Alex escaping over the fence after peeking in the basement window.

On the other side of the fence, practically nose-to-nose with me, stood Mother Nature’s idea of a joke--the monster dog, a cross between a rag mop and a small beagle. Nick and I scrambled back to the car.

Inside, I started laughing and Nick said, “Killer?”

That set me off again, “Don’t make me laugh or I’ll pee my pants,” I groaned—I couldn’t believe I said that.

I sobered quickly and, as I started the car, I said, “So much for catching my client’s husband doing the hanky-panky.”

“You didn’t get pictures? You have got to be kidding, after all that, you—”

“No hanky-panky—” shooting him a gloating look “—more like the waltz.”

“Say again.”

“Killer’s mother is a dance instructor.

Alex O’Hara finally gets a case that will give her bottom line a much needed boost. She might even be able to change her diet from ramen noodles to prime rib. All she has to do is track down a man who’s been missing for over ten years. Piece of cake . . . until an old flame arrives and a mugger roughs her up with orders to back off.

Amazon ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ ARe ~ Barnes and Noble~ Smashwords ~ Amazon UK

Be sure to check out the other authors.  

#WeWriWa #8Sunday - Bygone Brother - Caught

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Writers share an 8 to10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other writers. You can find them here.

I'm continuing with a snippet from my PI mystery, The Case of the Bygone Brother, a contemporary cozy, that takes place in a small Lake Michigan resort town. Alex (Alexandra) O'Hara has taken over her dad's investigation agency, struggling to keep it going.  In this snippet, Alex and Nick are surveilling Mr. Yoder's activities, with Alex peeking in the basement window.

While I gaped at the sight in the basement, the back door opened and a woman said, “Hurry up, Killer, do your business and get back in here.”

Killer? Time to make tracks before some monster dog discovered a trespasser. I slowly straightened, keeping my back to the wall, and edged behind the bushes—without making noise or quick motions. As I put my toe into the fence link, vicious barking close by—real close by—spurred me up, then Killer grabbed the hem of my jeans.

As the dog tugged, Nick grabbed the back of my sweatshirt and started to haul me over. The bent tops of the chain links dug into my stomach. Killer hung on a moment longer then landed with a whimper before baying like a hound who’d treed his prey, while I lost my balance and landed on top of Nick—just like that time in the office.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” he whispered.

Alex O’Hara finally gets a case that will give her bottom line a much needed boost. She might even be able to change her diet from ramen noodles to prime rib. All she has to do is track down a man who’s been missing for over ten years. Piece of cake . . . until an old flame arrives and a mugger roughs her up with orders to back off.

Amazon ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ ARe ~ Barnes and Noble~ Smashwords ~ Amazon UK

Be sure to check out the other authors.  

#WeWriWa - #8Sunday: The Case of the Bygone Brother

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Writers share an 8 to10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other writers. You can find them here.

The snippet this weekend is from my PI mystery, The Case of the Bygone Brother, a contemporary cozy takes place in a small Lake Michigan resort town, similar to the one where I live. Alex (Alexandra) O'Hara has taken over her dad's investigation agency, struggling to keep it going. Last week, she fell off the filing cabinet and landed on top of Nick. A potential client came in. This snippet picks up a few minutes later.

 

Mrs. Yoder, an attractive woman in her mid-seventies who hadn’t let age keep her from being trim and stylish, lingered in the doorway to my office, disapproval fairly shouting from her. “I believe I have made a mistake.”

I put on the matching jacket to my gray skirt, saying, “Ma’am?”

“The, uh, scene I interrupted . . .” She pursed her lips, giving me that ‘you Jezebel’ look, yet I saw hesitation in her expression, too, and uncertainty.

“I apologize, I fell off the cabinet and he caught—” Pop’s caveat zinged through my brain, never explain, never complain. “Appearances aren’t always what they seem, but I will understand if you choose to go elsewhere.” Please don’t, I need the work.

Alex O’Hara finally gets a case that will give her bottom line a much needed boost. She might even be able to change her diet from ramen noodles to prime rib. All she has to do is track down a man who’s been missing for over ten years. Piece of cake . . . until an old flame arrives and a mugger roughs her up with orders to back off.

Amazon ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ ARe ~ Barnes and Noble~ Smashwords ~ Amazon UK

 

Be sure to check out the other authors.  

#WeWriWa - #8Sunday - The Case of the Bygone Brother

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Writers share an 8 to10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other writers. You can find them here.

The snippet this weekend is from my PI mystery, The Case of the Bygone Brother, a contemporary cozy takes place in a small Lake Michigan resort town, similar to the one where I live. Alex (Alexandra) O'Hara has taken over her dad's investigation agency, struggling to keep it going. When Nick Palzetti, son of her dad's partner, returns, he finds her lying across the top of a filing cabinet and tries to help her down.

         “Gotcha,” Nick said, a half sec before we tumbled to the hardwood floor. He must have twisted because I landed on top of him, which had to hurt--with my height, I’m no light-weight.

“Another fine mess you’ve gotten me into,” I said as I hooked a hank of hair behind my ear and propped my elbow on his chest. 

"Hel-lo?” an older woman’s voice warbled from the outer office, “Is anyone here?”

My one o’clock was early. Don’t come investigating, lady, I prayed as I scrambled to my feet. When my stocking-clad foot slid on the polished floor, Nick grabbed me to keep me from falling, and I flopped face down on top of him instead of the floor.

“Oh, dear. Am I interrupting something?”

Alex O’Hara finally gets a case that will give her bottom line a much needed boost. She might even be able to change her diet from ramen noodles to prime rib. All she has to do is track down a man who’s been missing for over ten years. Piece of cake . . . until an old flame arrives and a mugger roughs her up with orders to back off.

Amazon ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ ARe ~ Barnes and Noble~ Smashwords ~ Amazon UK

 

Be sure to check out the other authors.  

Exciting News: #Free Books

I know it's Tuesday. I didn't lose a day and I didn't forget to post Monday Morning Musing. I waited until today to share some exciting news.

Thanks to a Smashwords promotion, my first PI mystery, The Case of the Bygone Brother, is being serialized on Wattpad. Starting today, you can read a chapter a week. Bygone Brother was my first venture into writing a mystery. If you've read any of my books--or this blog--you know I don't write graphic violence (thriller-type). Nor do I write hard-boiled detective stories. Soft-boiled is more like it. And I can't resist adding humor. Definitely not slasher stories. I had a lot of fun writing Bygone Brother. Since it's written in Alex's point of view, it was like I'm her. All the things I've wanted to say or do, I could say/do as Alex. Smart-aleck comments, following clues into dangerous places, etc. As I mentioned, I had so much fun writing Bygone Brother, I had to write a second book,The Case of the Fabulous Fiance.  Currently, I'm writing the third book, The Case of the Meddling Mama.

If you haven't read The Case of the Bygone Brother, here's your chance. If you enjoy the first chapter(s) and can't wait to find out what happens next, you can download your copy from Smashwords.

More great news! PORTALS Volume 2 IS available. FREE You can read the first chapter of my science fiction romance, The Pilot (An Outer Rim Novel), along with first chapters from nine other sci-fi romances. A great way to discover new authors--or new books by familiar authors.

PORTALS vol 2 is available at
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/portals-14
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/639100
IBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/portals/id1117074551…
GP: https://play.google.com/…/boo…/details/Alison_Aimes_Portals…
NOOK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/…/1123847955;jsessionid=DF2A9…
** Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01G7RXDY4
ARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-portalsvolumetwo-2045466-153.html
** Wait until Amazon lowers the price to free.

So lots of free books coming your way. Happy Reading!

Launch Day - The Case of the Fabulous Fiance

They say good things happen to those who wait. Those of you who have been waiting for the second Alex O'Hara mystery are in for a real treat.

Alex is up to her old tricks. Biting off more than she can chew. Taking on more than she can handle. Life should be good, right? One big problem. Her main squeeze, Nick Palzetti, disappeared over two months ago. All her investigative skills have been for naught, and life goes on.

She wants to take her investigation agency in a new direction—background checks for potential spouses. She hopes this new case will do the trick when a high-powered executive asks for info on her new boyfriend. Is the man she met on a cruise her Mr. Right or is he too good to be true? On the same day, Alex gets another case—finding a deadbeat dad. And both women want to double her rates so she’ll give them highest priority. She can’t believe her luck. Her finances are on the upswing. But glitchy phones and no internet bring everything to a screeching halt.

Excerpt:

The outside door opened, letting in a blast of Michigan winter air. The cold draft shot down my back as I lay on the floor under the receptionist’s desk. What a way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

“That better be you, RJ,” I hollered. “And you’d better fix this piece of shit telephone system before I tear out every damn wire.”

Two strikes in one sentence. I’d fallen off the no-swearing wagon again. So much for my promise to my dying mom who thought women shouldn’t swear like teenage boys.

When RJ didn’t give me a song-and-dance about why it had taken him so long to respond to my SOS, I squinted between the edge of the modesty panel and the floor. Oh, no. Dark gray trousers with a knife-sharp crease grazed the fashionably-correct spot on a pair of highly-polished gray loafers. Definitely not RJ’s scruffy athletic shoes topped by the ragged hem of his worn blue jeans.

Shit, shit, shit. Mental swearing didn’t count.

I had two choices. Door Number One—stay under the desk and pretend no one was home. Door Number Two—come out and greet the potential client.

Scratch Door Number One. I’d already spoken. He knew I was there.

As I scrambled out, I hit my head on the underside of the desk. “Hell’s bells.”

Strike three.

“My dear girl, whatever are you doing in that awful place?” The owner of the expensive loafers had walked around the desk and was peering down at me. “May I give you a hand?”

How about duct tape for my mouth? My mother must be turning over in her grave. And Pop would be appalled that I’d given a client a bad first impression of the agency he and Tony Palzetti had started after high school.

As I scooted out from among the tangled wires, I also cleaned the floor with my butt. The underside of the kneehole drawer caught the scrunchie anchoring my ponytail and pulled it off—the scrunchie, not my ponytail. Through another tangle, this time my hair, I looked up at the owner of the sexy voice.

Delish, as my Dottie would say. “Money, money, money,” as ABBA sang. Under his black, unbelted Burberry, he wore monochromatic better than Alex Trebek. Dark gray suit, a darker gray shirt, and a gray-on-gray striped tie. His blond hair with its precision cut enhanced his appearance. No barber for this guy. Had to be an expensive stylist. The businesswoman in me took notice. So did my lady parts.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Nicholas Palzetti. There are other fish in the sea than you.

The Case of the Fabulous Fiance is available at:

Amazon: ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ B&N ~ Smashwords

I hope you enjoy Alex's latest adventure.

Pop around on my blog tour to read fun interviews, stories, and different excerpts from The Case of the Fabulous Fiance.

Blog Tour

Tuesday, December 15: MJ Schiller

                                      Nicole Fitton

Wednesday, December 16: Creative Hodgepodge

                                           Lori MacLaughlin
Thursday, December 17: Barbara Edwards

Friday, December 18: Linda Carroll-Brad

Saturday, December 19: Connie Bretes

Monday, December 21: Alicia Dean

                                      Alyssa Alexander
Tuesday, December 22: Maureen Bonatch