Guest promo (XXIX)

I have the pleasure to introduce you a talented American author who shares with us her intriguing novel.

Janet Elizabeth Lynn

Summary

Palmer Railton, a well known lobbyist, is brutally murdered on his doorstep resulting in a media frenzy. Meantime, his excited fiancée, Camille Brewster calls Connie Cane, her twin sister, to tell her of Palmer’s wedding proposal, the huge ruby engagement ring, and a dozen red roses. Connie, former CSI, must keep her devastated, cute-ass sister from getting killed after involving herself in the murder investigation.

Kidnapped, Camille tries to seduce her way to freedom but ends up stranded in a Guatemalan jail with an Interpol agent who holds the key to her freedom. Wounded during a gun battle, Connie tries to free her sister. The murderer is caught and arrested leaving Camille free to plan Palmer’s funeral with hi’s estranged grandmother. The final clue is in Connie’s hands when she realizes they have the wrong person in jail.

Excerpt

The moon was rising in the east. Detective Marcello Prado got out of his unmarked Mercury Marauder. The sweet ocean air filled his head. A crowd of onlookers had already gathered around the stark crime scene tape that encircled the Spanish style apartment building. He ducked under the tape and walked up the steps through the tropical plants and trees that crowded the courtyard. The Police floodlights and a trickling fountain made the front door of apartment THREE look like a Hollywood premiere.

“Whatcha got, Jim?”

“Well, he's still warm.”

The body of a man dressed in a yellow polo shirt and dark brown slacks laid face up on the parquet floor. Vacant black eyes stared at him through the glass top coffee table. Marcello scanned the room. He noticed a potted fichus tree on the floor across the man's legs. Blood had pooled under the table and flowed along the floor.

“Someone was in a hurry to get out of here.” Marcello spun around as a petite brunette popped up from behind a chair. “Hello, Detective.”

“Don’t just pop up like that, you startled me. Who are you?”

“Sorry. I'm CS Investigator Kyra Dennis. I found a footprint in the blood by the fireplace.”

“From the looks of things,” Jim continued, “the shooting must've happened about two to three hours ago. Two shots to the chest, front entry. One probably in the center of his heart. No blood trail, so it happened here.”

“Looks like Mr. Railton was a silent movie buff.”

Jim stood, “Are you kidding?”

“So you’re an old movie buff too?” Kyra added.

“They just don’t make them like they use to”. Jim crossed the room to examine a double poster display. "If these two posters are original, they are worth a small fortune at best. Metropolis, 1927, the movie all science fictions are based on. Look, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Blade Runner too.”

Marcello was listening carefully, “Can’t be a motive for robbery, they’re still here.”

“If, in fact, they are originals,” Jim added. “It could be.”

“I'll check on it.” Kyra held out the dead man's wallet. Detective Prado pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket.

She nodded toward the body, “The victim is a Palmer Railton - looks like he was ready to leave on a trip. Luggage and airline tickets to D.C. are on the sofa.”

Marcello figured her for a newbie with the crime lab. She was too precise and enthusiastic for a seasoned investigator.

“Someone didn't want him to leave.” Marcello looked at the body. “Can you do something with his eyes, Jim? I'm getting creeped out.”

“Looks like a nine millimeter,” Jim held up an empty shell casing. “I would have thought you’d be used to stuff like this, Prado.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I never get used to people hurting each other.”

Kyra went back to take photos of items scattered across the floor. There was a crumpled twenty dollar bill, an empty velvet ring box and one gaudy cloisonné earring.

"A woman was definitely here.” She shook her head as she examined the earring and placed it into its own evidence envelope. "Whoever it was, they have awful taste. I hope I can get some DNA. Clip-ons aren't as easy to get DNA as pierced earrings. But maybe I can lift a print.”

“Why do you women hang stuff from their ears in the first place?” Marcello asked. “I mean, whose idea was that?”

Kyra looked up from the viewfinder in her camera, “Probably some man. The same guy who came up with stilettos." She smiled, "Actually earrings are intended to frame a woman's face - y'know, to take a guy's attention away from our chest.”

“Detective,” their exchange was disturbed by a uniformed officer, accompanied by a beautiful brunette with sad eyes.

“This lady has something to say you may want to hear.”
Author Bio

I was born in Queens, and raised in Long Island, New York until I was 12 years old. Then my family left the freezing winters and hurricanes to the warmth and casual life style of Los Angeles.

It has always been my dream to write novels. Finally, in 2001 I decided that if I don’t try I’ll never know. After many classes and seminars, much blood and sweat my first novel was published. South of the Pier in 2011. That was it, I can’t seem to stop writing and researching.

Important places to find me:

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/janet.lynn.5477

Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=nav_responsive_tab_home

Twitter https://twitter.com/JanetLynn4

Blog: http://janetelizabethlynnauthor.blogspot.com/

Website:  www.janetlynnauthor.com

e-mail: janet_lynn51@yahoo.com

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DznY4XBw-dY

Guest Promo (XXVIII)

A dear friend to me, Australian author Susan Day, accepted to share with us  a  few things about her books, the characters that populate them and her love for animals.Let's give her a warm welcome!

Susan, your books have strong characters in them. Why did you choose to write about dogs?

Thanks Carmen, all the characters in my books, both dogs and cats, are based on real ones. When I decided to write my first book, The Great Escape, I sat down and made a list of the all the dogs I knew. Some of them were mine, others belonged to family members. I then wrote down three characteristics each dog had that I thought would be useful. So, Alfie the Doberman cross is very strong, is always hungry and he’s not very clever (not as far as dogs go, anyway). He has other characteristics but I chose those to build his character. And it worked really well. He’s one of the funniest characters in my books. In Major Dakota’s Ghost, he sees five ghostly shapes coming towards him and mistakes them for pizza delivery boys. When you have characters like Alfie you can have so much fun with them.

Indy’s another character. If the real Indy doesn’t like you she bites you; it’s that simple. Naturally, I made her into our no nonsense combo who enjoys fighting anything and anybody. On many occasions her bravery saves the day but there is also an understanding between the characters of how lucky they are she’s on their side because life would be extremely difficult if she wasn’t!

I run workshops for children and we do this same exercise with their pets. They just love it!

Where did you get the idea in the first place?

My friend and I wanted to do something for animal welfare. I have worked in the pet and dog training industry for years and she is very compassionate. While there are many shelters and pounds that try hard to rehome unwanted dogs we felt that there needed to be a greater awareness of the plight of many dogs that are left un-walked in their backyard.

From there I created The Organisation which all my characters belong to which operates under our noses without detection. Its purpose is to save dogs from neglect. I thought it would be fun if the dogs took control of this situation themselves. It also gave me a great deal of material to work with.

What’s your key to writing captivating adventures?

               

I believe you have to think outside the box. When I was planning my second book, The Golden Treasure, I knew my characters were going to have to find a treasure. I considered that most treasures are found on desert islands, under rainbows, on pirate ships etc. So, I thought long and hard thought of one place that you’d probably never expect to find a treasure and it also had to be the one place where you were not likely to find any dogs. The reason for this was I really enjoy challenging myself as a writer. Sure, I could get the characters to ride in a boat to a desert island or use a map to discover treasure in the forest but that would be too easy! No, I decided that the one place that met these two criteria was a cat show. Can you image the fun I had getting the dogs into and out the show without being detected by any human beings?

There’s also another important reason why the treasure had to be golden but if I told you that it would spoil the story.

What’s next in the Astro’s Adventures series?

I’ve just started the eighth story, Dogs in Space. I’ve only got the first few chapters down now but it’s coming along nicely.  I don’t want to give too much of the plot away but the dogs are required to replace our moon by bringing back another largish rock that’s roughly the same size. I want to have an educative aspect to this book, like previous ones, by discussing the various planets. I know Pluto is no longer considered a planet but given that it’s a popular dog character I’m not going to resist weaving it somehow into the story.

This book also has another tale threaded through it by the evil genius who stars in my books, Speed Bump Charlie, the wicked ally cat. There is a new character being brought it that ends up being his sidekick or apprentice. While the dogs are away, the pair of them wreak havoc here on Earth – as they always do!

I’m also doing the layout for Neptune’s Trident, the seventh book, too and will hopefully have that available for sale within the next couple of months. However, it is available as an eBook just like all of Astro’s books.

Author Info:

Susan Day is a mother and grandmother of three avid readers. She is the author and illustrator of the Astro's Adventures series of children's books. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with the family dogs, two bossy cats, two rescue guinea pigs and a very patient husband.

Susan is passionate about getting children to be great readers and writers and often posts free activities regarding reading and writing on her blog.

You can find Susan most days floating about the internet on her blog - http://www.susandayauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/astrosadventures

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susandayauthor

Meet all the gang at Astro’s Adventures official website: http://www.astrosadventures.com

For more information about her books go to

 Susan’s Amazon Author page – http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Day/e/B009SS8IJK

Or Smashwords Author Page:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SueDay