I’m so excited to help launch Dark Current Rising by Ashley Farley. It’s a gripping new coastal mystery filled with secrets, family ties, and small-town tension. Perfect for readers who love small-town secrets, emotional depth, and a story that pulls you in from page one.

📆 Releasing Tuesday, January 6
📚 Available in Kindle Unlimited

Dark Current Rising
Small town. Deep secrets. Dangerous truths.
When a woman goes missing in Tidewell, Virginia, Detective Lane Sutherlin is forced to confront a past she thought she’d left behind—and a town that protects its own at all costs.

🎁 Enter now to win one of 20 copies

⏳ Giveaway ends soon

👉https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/428034-dark-current-rising

REVIEW:

Second Pairing is the second book in the Parent App series by Tess Thompson. I can’t tell you how enjoyable this series is. I really like it and after I read the prequel, I knew I was going to love the series. I wasn’t wrong. If you like good clean romances, you will like these books. I find myself seeking out books that take me away from the everyday stress of life. I want a book that makes me happy I read it and makes me think about it long after I turn the last page.

The premise of these books is that mothers are invited to coffee on the first morning their children start school for the first time. Six of the women there bond from the first meeting and essentially become family over the years. Some of them were single and some were married. They all eventually became single parents. They help each other out and have family dinners each Sunday evening.

The kids are all headed for high school in the fall and knowing they will be leaving their mothers when they go off to college, they cook up a plan to put their profiles on a dating app so they are not left alone. How cool is that? Well, the mom’s don’t think it is a good idea. They really don’t want any part of it. One by one they try the app. In this book it is Lila Morgan who meets Vance Prescott. Things don’t always go smoothly. This is one of those stories. You’ll have to read the book to see what happens.

The characters in these books are mostly the same. Each book has a few new ones for  that particular story. The core group remains the same and I like catching up with them and getting to know each one a bit more. They all have a good heart and watch out for each other.

If you need a break from all that is going on in the world. If you love a good love story. If you enjoy clean romance. If you just want to sit down and read a good book that will grab your attention and take you away to another world, then the Second Pairing by Tess Thompson is a good bet. Find a spot on your nightstand for these books. You won’t regret the good dreams they bring your way. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review. Just a few words help.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. Thank you!

SYNOPSIS:

Her daughter set her up on a dating app.
Her first match turned into her first TV client.
Now the cameras—and her heart—are rolling.

After her husband’s betrayal, single mom Lila Morgan built a safe life in Willet Cove: raising her daughter, running her design studio, and keeping her heart off-limits. Love wasn’t part of the plan. But Mia and her friends have other ideas. With a secret profile on the Second Chance dating app, they match her with Vance Prescott—a worldly sommelier and charming wanderer back in town after years abroad.

Sparks fly on their first date in a way neither expected. But then Lila’s brand-new reality design show launches, and her very first client is Vance. Suddenly, her private world is on display, her heart is at risk, and the press is circling.
Vance is used to the spotlight. Lila is not. But between bright lights, nosy kids, and an opposites attract chemistry that won’t be ignored, they might just discover that love can bloom later in life.

Because in Willet Cove, happily-ever-after might just start with a second pairing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tess Thompson is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary and historical Romantic Women’s Fiction with over 50 published titles. Her books are emotional and heartwarming with themes of second chances, redemption and the power love has to change lives and create community.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest in a house on a small lake with her husband and kitties. Her four children are now young adults exploring their own paths and adventures, leaving an empty nest and a lot more time to write. She and her husband enjoy a quiet life, obsessed with birds and the other wildlife on their property, which makes them officially old. On any given day their yard could be visited by deer, bears, coyotes and squirrels.

Most days, she can be found curled up in her favorite chair reading or in her office writing while keeping an eye out for hummingbirds in the feeder outside of her office.

REVIEW:

Tammy L. Grace never fails to deliver a book that will provide me with reading pleasure. Deadly Secret is book 7 of the Cooper Harrington Detective Novels. I have enjoyed these books since I started reading them. Let me tell you why I enjoy them so much.

The first reason is the characters. I really like Coop Harrington. He is caring and a hard worker. He’s developed a lot of friends in his work that often help him out or at least send him in the correct direction. His assistant is AB. I think these two have a crush on each other but, I don’t think it has been addressed except maybe a little hint. He lives with his widowed Aunt Camille and his Dad has started to visit and stays with them also. His mother is a piece of work who is always getting into trouble and expects Coop to bail her out. She left Coop and his dad and brother years ago. It is entertaining to see what trouble she gets herself into in each book. Oh! I don’t want to forget his faithful dog, a Golden Retriever named Gus.

Coop is a private detective and has his own office in Nashville, Tennessee about 20 minutes from my home. I love that I can enjoy the feel of home while I’m reading. I enjoy seeing his world from his eyes. He is always called upon to help solve a crime or murder of some sort. I like how he and AB work together, but I can never solve the crime before they do. I am hopeless!

This book is about the granddaughter of a friend of Aunt Camille’s who moves to Washington D. C. to be an intern. She understands what her grandmother went through getting an expensive medication that she needed. Brooke Donovan wants to help fix the health care system. She is so excited to move and work on Capitol Hill. She died a short time after she started working. Police consider it a mugging gone wrong. Her parents aren’t buying it and hire Coop to go figure it out.

If you love detective stories that have a lot of heart, a murder you can’t figure out with a lot of twists and turns then Deadly Secret by Tammy L. Grace comes to you highly recommended for your reading pleasure. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review. Even a few words help.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

A vanished intern. A city of secrets. A truth worth dying for.

In the busy streets near Capitol Hill, Brooke Donovan, a young intern from Nashville, meets a tragic end, her death dismissed as a random mugging. But her family smells a cover-up, and they call on Cooper Harrington, their hometown’s sharpest private eye, to unearth the truth. With his tech-savvy partner Annabelle, trusty dog Gus, and a penchant for snarky t-shirts and strong coffee, Coop dives into the capital’s shadowy elite, where a whispered secret sparks a brutal murder. Each clue drags him deeper into a web of power and lies, where one wrong move could bury the truth, and Coop, for good.

Deadly Secret, the seventh installment in Tammy L. Grace’s acclaimed Cooper Harrington Detective Novels, delivers a taut, twist-filled mystery laced with Southern grit and charm. Perfect for fans of clever sleuths, mysteries that grip until the final page, and cases that unravel with heart-pounding suspense.
Dive into the latest in the award-winning Cooper Harrington Detective Novels, featuring Coop, a Nashville lawyer turned private detective known for his love of coffee, snarky t-shirts, and talent for solving cases. He, along with his faithful dog, Gus, and his right-hand assistant, Annabelle, work together to solve murder cases full of twists and turns. You’ll find a bit of humor, a dash of southern charm, a dog who is more like a furry best friend, plenty of comfort food, and murder, of course. If you enjoy complex characters with a few quirks and plots that keep you guessing, you’ll love Tammy L. Grace’s mystery series.

The series may be read as stand-alone novels, but are more enjoyable when read in order.

Read more from USA Today bestselling author, Tammy L. Grace

COOPER HARRINGTON DETECTIVE NOVELS

Killer Music (2016 Gold Medal Mystery Winner in the Global eBook Awards)
Deadly Connection (2017 Gold Medal Mystery Winner in the Global eBook Awards)
Dead Wrong
Cold Killer
Deadly Deception
Deadly Pursuit
Deadly Secret
QUINN STONE NOVELS
Shadows of the Past
HOMETOWN HARBOR SERIES
Hometown Harbor: The Beginning (Prequel Novella)
Finding Home
Home Blooms
Promise of Home
Pieces of Home
Finally Home
Forever Home
Follow Me Home
Long Way Home
Come Home for Christmas
Feels Like Home
SISTERS OF THE HEART SERIES
Greetings from Lavender Valley
Pathway to Lavender Valley
Sanctuary at Lavender Valley
Blossoms at Lavender Valley
Comfort in Lavender Valley
Reunion in Lavender Valley
GLASS BEACH COTTAGE SERIES

Beach Haven
Moonlight Beach
Beach Dreams
CHRISTMAS BOOKS

A Season for Hope (Christmas in Silver Falls)
The Magic of the Season (Christmas in Silver Falls)
Christmas in Snow Valley (Hometown Christmas Series)
One Unforgettable Christmas (Hometown Christmas Series)
Under a Christmas Star (Hometown Christmas Series)
Christmas Sisters (FREE PREQUEL to Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge)
Christmas Wishes (Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge)
Christmas Surprises (Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge)
Christmas Shelter (Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge)
Christmas Hearts (Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tammy L. Grace is a USA Today bestselling author of women’s fictions, family sagas, mysteries, and Christmas stories. She’s known for writing perfect escapes, unforgettable characters, and binge-worthy stories. Readers often say her characters feel like old friends and love the dogs she weaves into all her books. She brings readers entertaining stories that take them on an emotional journey, filled with complex relationships of friendship and family in her women’s fiction novels. Mystery readers delight in her fast-paced whodunits and fans of Christmas love her small town holiday stories filled with family, friendship, and furry characters.

Tammy also writes under the pen name Casey Wilson and has released two emotional and heartwarming stories about the bond we have with our beloved canine companions.

When Tammy isn’t working on ideas for a novel, she’s spending time with family and friends or supporting her addiction to books, tea, and chocolate. She and her husband make their home in Nevada and have one grown son and a spoiled golden retriever.

Tammy invites you to subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.tammylgrace.com/newsletter and she’ll send you a free interview with all the dogs in her Hometown Harbor Series as a thank you gift. Find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tammylgrace.books and be sure and click the follow button here on Amazon.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Behind Enemy Lines and Beyond the Battlefield

In Blood, Tears, and Purple Hearts, author B.J. Ricketts delivers an unforgettable portrait of war and its aftermath through the eyes of two elite female Navy aviators. When their helicopter is shot down during a mission in the Syrian desert, they face a harrowing fight for survival against ISIS insurgents—and then, a far more complex battle once they return home. Physically wounded and psychologically scarred, the women must navigate the invisible injuries of war: trauma, loss, and a military system that isn’t always prepared to support its returning heroes.

Inspired by Ricketts’ own years of military service and time in the Middle East, this gripping novel blends the raw intensity of combat with a deep, compassionate exploration of what happens after the fighting ends. With precision, heart, and unflinching honesty, Ricketts shines a spotlight on the realities of women in combat and the unseen burdens they carry long after the war zone fades.

More than a war story, Blood, Tears, and Purple Hearts is a tribute to resilience, a call for understanding, and a timely reminder that the wounds of war aren’t always visible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

B.J. Ricketts is a U.S. Navy veteran who served for seven years during the Cold War aboard an Amphibious Assault ship, participating in two Western Pacific deployments and the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis response. After 9/11, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary as a flight crew member conducting air security patrols in Southeast Texas. He later worked as a civilian contractor in the Middle East during the Iraq War, experiences that deeply inform his writing. Ricketts studied Aviation Business Management and creative writing at Southern Illinois University, National University, and UC San Diego. Through fiction, he aims to foster empathy and awareness for veterans living with the long-term effects of combat.

INTRODUCTION:

A murder without acknowledgment anchors the storyline in Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill by Ray M. Schultze, where Jack London becomes entangled in questions surrounding a crime that seems to vanish upon reporting.

Set in 1898 San Francisco, the novel follows Jack as he explores districts where tensions and disappearances create an unsettled atmosphere. Chinatown’s interior routes present shifting alliances and patterns that seldom reach the surface. A woman whose history intersects with these dynamics introduces insight and complication, guiding Jack deeper into the city’s opaque workings. As he pieces together connections others overlook, he confronts figures dedicated to preserving their authority through silence. His investigation reveals the complex interplay of influence shaping the city’s concealed networks.

EXCERPT: CHAPTER 1

San Francisco

Fall, 1898

Jack London was drunk.

Ingloriously, outrageously, irredeemably drunk.

It had been a long time since he had been so demolished. This was the day he committed himself to make up for lost time. It was a clear, moonlit evening, the city’s gaslights blazing, but his disorientation was so intense that for all he knew he could have been wrapped mummy-like in the fog.

At the age of twenty-two, he had been drunk innumerable times in innumerable places. One could fairly say he had earned an advanced degree in inebriation at the school of John Barleycorn. Truth be told, he had never cared for the taste of liquor, but that was hardly the point. He cradled the glass to grease the wheels of camaraderie or to establish his manly credentials among hard-drinking men. And if not that, to ameliorate the bouts of depression he was prone to or simply to escape the hardships of growing up poor and being forced to become a work beast from a very early age. This day, he was intent on doing a deep dive, swimming down into the current of forgetfulness, stealing a glimpse of oblivion, even while knowing that it was a transitory experience, that he must at some point rise back up and burst painfully onto the surface. With his head pounding and body wracked, he would once again have to face the reminders of failure: the stream of rejection letters, the dashed-off notes declaring his writing unfit for public consumption.

Had these editors embraced so much hackwork that they could no longer discern honest, robust writing? Did they really favor gross sentimentality over impassioned realism? Yes, he was of a raw age, but he knew he had experienced more of the world—and discovered more of its truth—than many men over a lifetime. He had slaved in the factories, processing jute, canning fish, shoveling coal. He had pirated oysters along the bay before switching sides to enforce the marine law. He had ridden the rails west to east, seen the fat Iowa farm country, marveled at Niagara Falls in the moonlight, endured the living hell of jail as a convicted vagrant and walked the slums of New York City. He had braved the Pacific on a seal hunter, stepping ashore in Japan. And he had met the ultimate physical and mental challenges prospecting for gold in the unforgiving wilderness of the Yukon.

Yet these smug literary gatekeepers kept themselves cloistered in their offices, stooping to consider the supplications of someone they surely regarded as a lesser mortal. Would they care to know how hard Jack had labored since returning from the goldfields in midsummer, how he had disciplined himself to sleep no more than five and a half hours a night and chained himself to the writing desk except for brief meals and the occasional odd job? How he had churned out short stories, essays, poems, even jokes, any kind of writing he could think of, desperate to make the handful of dollars that would allow him a decent living and help support the family? No, of course they wouldn’t care. He would have taken soulful satisfaction in reaching out, grabbing them by the lapels and shaking them until their brains rattled. Since that was not feasible, he had sought solace in the bottle.

Where the hell am I? That’s the existential question, isn’t it? There was nothing more existential than struggling to put one foot in front of the other, to keep from falling down and possibly being trampled by the carefree souls out for an evening of entertainment or being kicked or robbed by those malevolent ones looking for a sadistic thrill or profit. He took a tiny measure of relief in realizing he was staggering along the sidewalk and not in the street where a horse-and-carriage might thunder over him, pounding him into the cobblestones. So, where? Washington Street? Montgomery? Likely one or the other, since he had just tried to gain admission to the Bank Exchange Saloon, with its crystal chandeliers, marble embellishments and elegant oil paintings. It wasn’t really his sort of place—too refined, too welcoming to the lawyers and well-heeled capitalists that he disdained. But he fancied invading it just for amusement’s sake. Not surprisingly, the saloonkeeper ejected him. Just as well, he told himself, since the taste of the bar’s renowned Pisco Punch would have been lost on him.

He had begun his odyssey in late afternoon at his favorite watering-hole, Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, which teetered on pilings on the Oakland waterfront, not far from his home.

“What’s up with you, Jack?” asked Johnny Heinold, who was used to seeing him huddling with a dictionary at a side table rather than elbow-bent at the bar. “You got writer’s block?”

Writer’s block? Jack had to laugh. The spigot of his creativity was gushing. The problem was, the magazines and newspapers weren’t thirsty for it. “No, just need something to warm the blood in my veins after writing about all those freezing nights in the Klondike.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ray M. Schultze is the author of six novels, five of them works of suspense—The Last Safe Place, Combustion, The Devil in Dreamland, Decatur’s Dig, and Beranek’s Stand. His most recent novel, Russian River, is historical fiction. His interest in writing began in childhood with a handmade, folded-paper “magazine” that his mother encouraged. After graduating from the University of California at Riverside, he pursued newspaper reporting as a practical way to support himself while writing fiction. Over a twenty-five-year career, he covered politics, the legal system, and education for newspapers in California, Florida, and Arizona. When he turned to fiction full-time, he drew inspiration from authors such as Alan Furst and Ken Follett. Ray now lives in Santa Rosa, California, with his wife, Judi. They enjoy tennis, hiking, exploring the region’s beaches and headlands, and international travel—experiences that often shape his novels’ settings. He is also an award-winning woodworking artist. Visit him at his website.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/48AI8UB

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244308185-jack-london-and-murder-on-nob-hill

Publisher: Ray M. Schultze

Publication date: December 2, 2025

GUEST POST

WHY JACK LONDON?
A better question might be, why wouldn’t any author thirst to make Jack London a character in their novel?

At the peak of his short writing career, Jack was a rock star of his time, his fame spreading well beyond America. He was a larger-than-life figure whose personal exploits fascinated the public just as much as his novels and short stories entertained it. By the age of 22, he had tramped from California to New York, prospected for gold in the Yukon, sailed the Pacific to Japan, pirated oysters in San Francisco Bay, slaved in factories canning fish and shoveling coal, and earned some notoriety as “the boy Socialist of Oakland.” 

He was brilliant and arrogant, but he brimmed with compassion for his fellow man, and his friends were legion. At 22, he was still unknown except for his political activities, and he struggled mightily to get his writing published.

To me, the thought of capturing him at that moment of despair and confronting him fictionally with a moral dilemma—how would he react if he stumbled upon a murder, a murder that the police swept under the rug?—was irresistible. The frosting on this cake was his time and place: San Francisco in 1898 was far different than we know it as today.

The city practiced a brash capitalism in which laborers toiled long hours in pitiful conditions for meager wages, and the Chinese inhabitants were viciously discriminated against. They were bottled up in the enclave known as Chinatown, where vice thrived as the murderous rival gangs called the tongs sowed fear. What a fertile field for a novelist!

QUESTIONS &ANSWERS

What are the hazards of fictionalizing a real person?
The thought that you might be guilty of libel plays on your mind, which is a good reason to choose as a subject someone who’s been dead for at least a century! I fictionalized Bogart in one of my novels, and I sweated that one because he’s so iconic. You really feel the pressure of getting the personality down right. The last thing you want is some expert on the man telling you that you got it all wrong. Arrggg.

How do you come up with your ideas for novels?
Because I’m an independent author trying to seduce the major publishing houses, I’m always on the lookout for what the industry calls “high concept” stories—basically ones based on an outrageous or over-the-top premise like the idea of the writer Jack London getting involved in a murder investigation. Seriously?

When do you get your best ideas for writing?
Sometimes when I’m half-awake in the middle of the night or just rousing myself in the morning. Sometimes entire lines of dialogue pop into my head and I try to write them down before I drift off again.

You’ve written some international thrillers. Do you try to visit the setting when it’s a far-away place?
It’s a must for me. You can research your heart out on, say, Portugal or Austria, and probably uncover every detail your story needs—except for the intangible feel of a place. The only exception I made was my novel Beranek’s Stand, set in Iran. I chickened out on that one.

If you could time-travel, where would you go?
The bronze-age city-state of Knossos, on the island of Crete. It was the first sophisticated urban civilization of Europe, and the Minoans produced magnificent art and gloried in nature. By coincidence, Knossos happens to be the setting of my next novel…

INTRODUCTION:

Sherrie Todd Beshore’s Fine Points Malice and Payback blends investigative precision with emotional undercurrents as multiple homicide cases begin to align. Through shifting leads and growing personal stakes, the story follows a detective stepping into responsibility sooner than expected.

Detective Andrew Coates identifies meaningful links among three cold-case murders, prompting the department to reconsider older evidence just as a new fourth crime emerges. Assigned the active case, Andrew faces pressure to produce results while navigating contradictory details and expanding possibilities. The investigation’s direction changes after a fifth victim survives, offering a slight but crucial break. Andrew’s connection with the survivor’s sister complicates matters at a critical moment, as does the reemergence of painful questions about his unknown origins. Raised in foster care after being abandoned at birth, he finds that the case stirs uncertainties he has never fully confronted. Professional and personal threads begin to overlap, shaping his path forward.

EXCERPT: CHAPTER 4

Hospital security towed Detective Coates’ Bronco.

From the hospital emergency parking lot he was able to flag down a patrol car for a ride back to the Stone Avenue police station. As tempted as he was to take the wise advice of Dr. Lopez, he felt compelled to keep going. 

Now was the time to interview Rosa Chavez’s landlord, her neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family even though the shock was still like an open wound.

The general mood on the third floor felt odd when Coates stepped off the elevator. The first detail he noticed was that Captain Fleming’s office was dark and the door was closed. 

Lieutenant Brayburn looked up and waved him over to his desk. His partner, Lucia Mendoza worked to clear a paper jam at the photocopier. 

Cream cheese icing from Clarence’s half-eaten cinnamon roll stuck to one side of his mouth contrasting against his dark skin. “Have you spoken to the captain yet this morning? Cause…” The senior homicide detective was interrupted when the elevator door opened and Police Chief Perez stepped out.

“Detective Coates, just the man I need to see.” The Chief of Police strode beyond the narrow elevator hallway into the open office area then beyond the rows of desks into the first available interview room.

Andrew Coates thought his heart would crash straight through his chest, and for the second time that morning his legs were like rubber.

The Tucson Chief-of-Police never came to the third floor. Everyone always went to his office either by order or invitation – only.

The young detective took a deep breath for more oxygen trying not to pass out then hurried after Pedro Perez.

When he closed the door, the ex-marine chief of police was blunt. “Make sure there’s no video or sound recording of this meeting?”

Andrew couldn’t help himself; he had to pull out a chair and sit. “Of course, sir. Absolutely. Just you and me and nothing outside this room, sir.”

Chief Perez remained standing at attention extending his five-foot, nine-inch muscular frame to full height. “Officially, I’m releasing to the press that Captain Fleming has taken ill suddenly with a previously undiagnosed heart ailment – which ironically is technically true.”

Perspiration had formed on Andrew’s forehead despite the cool temperature of the small room.

“You will now report exclusively and directly to me with your investigation. And, you will do it each day in person to my office, no emails, no phone calls, no text messages. You’ll work in Captain Fleming’s office. I’ll get you a key and you’ll lock the door every time you leave it. Understood?”

Andrew wiped his brow and nodded.

“We have a possible situation that could confuse your investigation, preventing important evidence from identifying our true serial killer.” Perez circled the small table and three chairs.

He took a deep breath and looked directly into Andrew’s eyes. “Captain Fleming was seeing Rosa Chavez, romantically.”

Andrew felt the blood from his heart beating in his neck.

“Apparently the affair started just before Thanksgiving and escalated. Ms. Chavez had moved from a house she shared with a younger sister and two cousins to her own apartment exclusively to keep their developing relationship private.”

“Arthur Fleming’s DNA will be in that apartment. However, any lab comparisons will be completed by Dr. Lopez and not by anyone at the FBI forensic lab.”

“Your captain was admitted to a private rest home in Oro Valley for a few days for complete bed rest. However, neither that nor any other details need concern you.”

“Just continue on as you have been – as if this was not a factor, because from my experience I don’t believe it is. But you know the media well enough by this time and then there’s Captain Fleming’s wife. We don’t want Mrs. Fleming hurt and humiliated by this either. I know Suzanne, she’s a proud woman.”

“I can see you’re in shock. Understandable, you’ll need to process this so I’ll leave you to sort through your next move Detective. I have every faith in you.” He patted Andrew’s shoulder before he opened the door and left.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sherrie Todd-Beshore began her writing career as a reporter and editor before moving into magazines and daily newspapers across Canada and the U.S. A dual Canadian–U.S. citizen, she later shifted from journalism to fiction, writing middle-grade mysteries and adult suspense thrillers. Her award-winning titles include The Crow Child, The Count of Baldpate, and Dream Gate II: Grabbing Time. She is the author of 17 books and has earned honors from the Independent Press Award and the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. Learn more on her website and Facebook.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4ioTrUx

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44094178-fine-points-malice-and-payback

What My Child Taught Me About Writing…

After two years I had been writing a regular column for a small town weekly newspaper [The Whitecourt Star, circulation 12,000] when my husband earned a promotion and a transfer to the head office in Calgary [Alberta]. We got resettled over the summer then I found the courage to approach the Mirror Community Editor of the Calgary Sun, [circulation 600,000] eager to write for a daily publication.

I submitted three column ideas along with copies of my published features from the Whitecourt Star, then dropped everything off in person. After introducing myself with a brief apology for no appointment, I left. A full week went by, but still no response. Then late afternoon the following Monday, the editor called me personally to compliment my column ideas and writing style -and- offer me a job on a trial basis. I was honored and elated. He invited me back to his office midweek to get better acquainted and fill out paperwork.

I was feeling like the luckiest struggling writer alive for this amazing opportunity, until my daughter [then six] came through the front door to inform me, her teacher noticed I had not ironed one of the sleeves on her blouse… From that moment, no matter how many positive reviews, or awards or attention for my work – I’ve kept it all in perspective…  

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Writing Process & Creativity

How did you research your book?
After 20 years of journalism [columns and features] my research takes me everywhere. For me, finding accurate historical and/or factual research is as enriching as building the plot [though it adds to the plot challenge].

What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?
Though I seek to create mystery-suspense plots, writing/conveying the extreme motivation that drives someone to kill/take another human life requires developing a specific ‘mood’ and that extreme level of motivation is time consuming to get right. What made that person [seemingly like you and me] to ‘snap’? 

Where do you get your ideas?
Like the research that goes with each plot, my ideas come from everywhere too. Sometimes there’s an obscure local or national news feature or a song or photo will trigger a memory of the ‘seed’ of an idea.

What sets your book apart from others in your genre?
Two elements. The first is characters as complete as three-dimensionally possible in a two-dimensional medium for protagonists and antagonists. There is motivation and a backstory for everyone, so the reader ‘feels’ they have ‘met’ each character. Second, is the story/plot. How is everyone connected and why. I hate to waste any reader’s time and if each reader is unable to figure out how the book ends – before the ending – then I’ve done my job.
 
What helps you overcome writer’s block?
I’ve been fortunate to have been so excited about a new book idea that I can’t write fast enough…having said that while in the midst of building a plot I have found myself ‘stuck’ not happy with how a specific scene is going. [Confession: when that happens, some days I can’t write a to-do list without listening to Earth, Wind, and Fire.]

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
Routine complaints from adult readers; “I stayed up far too late to finish your damn book!” [And from a MG reader for my young teen mystery series; “I’d really like to meet these kids.”]

Your Writing Life

Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?
Yes, I do write every day. I’m a morning person so I am most fresh from 9AM to 2PM.

Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train?
I have written notes for plots at airports, train stations, doctor’s appointments etc. – but writing itself is my home-office.

Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?
To launch each new day, I’ll read the last page I wrote from the day before – and too often gummy bears are far too handy…

Behind the Book

Why did you choose this setting/topic?
I’ve been so fortunate to have travelled across Canada, the United States, Mexico, UK and Europe, so my settings can be as varied as my plots. For some reason, this time Tucson suited Fine Points Malice And Payback.

If your book became a movie, who would star in it?
Because everyone needs to start somewhere, I’d be open to a relative unknown playing Andrew Coates and his love interest Lena, with well-known [character] supporting actors.

Which author(s) most inspired you?
Oh gosh – Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier

Fun & Lighthearted Qs

What’s your go-to comfort food?
Well, if I must narrow down that field then it’s crêpes or pancakes or French Toast with popcorn right up there too… 

What are you binge-watching right now?
Reruns from the  eight seasons of Castle. I now know how each episode ends, but now I enjoy all the main characters and how they interact with each other.

If you could time-travel, where would you go?
I’d only want to go back to a snowy day one weekend when my daughter was seven and my son was four. That day we were making large gingerbread cookies for Christmas. We spent the entire morning singing and mixing batter to the Muppets Christmas album playing loudly in the background. But in order to appreciate that day even more I’d want to be aware of who they became as adults.

Which three books would you bring to a desert island?
Pride And Prejudice – Jane Austen
Family Ties That Bind And Gag – Erma Bombeck
The Book Of Secrets – Deepak Chopra

What’s something that made you laugh this week?

REVIEW:

I have another great book to share with you today! It is Class Action: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You by Gail Ward Olmsted. It is a Women’s Crime Fiction and I had a hard time putting this one down. If you have read anything by Ms. Olmsted, you already know she is one of those authors that deserves a lot of attention. Her books are interesting and well researched and they draw you in instantly. I have read several of them and she is one of those authors I don’t need to read the synopsis to know I want to read the book. There hasn’t been a book she’s written I didn’t enjoy.

If you have read any of the Miranda Quinn Legal Twist Books, then you will want to read Class Action. This book is about Lennon Gallagher who is the daughter of one of Miranda’s High School friends. Miranda has stepped in at times when Lennon’s mother wasn’t able to. They have become close over the years and Lennon is following in Miranda’s footsteps to become an attorney.

There are a large range of characters in this book. There are the ones you wouldn’t want to be associated with and there are the ones you would want in your own life. Ms. Ward does a phenomenal job of fleshing out her characters. It doesn’t take you long to figure out who is who. The characters are not one dimensional and I like how with a smile or a gesture they become so much more. 

Class Action has a bit going on. Lennon is beyond busy studying and working two jobs. She works in the library and in a law firm where she is working on a class action suit. She is hoping she will stay on for the summer to finish working on the case. She has to pass the final exams to be eligible to take the bar exam and that will take all her time studying.

Class Action: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You by Gail Ward Olmsted is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who likes criminal law, a good love story, and a story about someone that comes from less than desirable circumstances growing up but has the gumption to pull themselves up and make something of their life. There are so many life lessons in this book. It makes for fascinating reading. This book should either be on your Christmas list or on the top of your Nightstand! I’m wishing all my followers and readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review. Even a few words help.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

“With crisp dialogue and an engaging writing style, Class Action integrates themes of resilience, integrity and self-discovery. A standout legal drama that will resonate with readers who crave both tension and heart.” –Sublime Book Review

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Third year law student Lennon Gallagher’s life turns from complicated to overwhelming when she receives a message meant for someone else. The text offers an advance copy of a final exam—a guaranteed “A”—but accepting it will violate the honors code she refuses to break. When Lennon declines, the collaborators behind the cheating scheme demand her silence or they will ensure she takes the fall if necessary.

Fighting for her future while balancing an internship, exams, studying for the bar, a boyfriend who no longer seems to understand her, and a mother who needs help rebuilding her life after prison, Lennon tries to handle everything alone. But when she discovers the lead plaintiff in her firm’s class action lawsuit might be the father she’s never known, it’s the final straw. She needs help.

With the support of her friend and mentor, attorney Miranda Quinn, Lennon must navigate betrayal, legal intrigue, and personal discovery. As one relationship unravels, another blossoms in this gripping story of resilience, secrets, and second chances.

A captivating read full of unexpected twists and emotional depth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gail Ward Olmsted was a marketing executive and a college professor before she began writing fiction on a full-time basis. A trip to Sedona, AZ inspired her first novel Jeep Tour. Three more novels followed before Landscape of a Marriage, a biographical novel featuring landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, a distant cousin of her husband’s, and his wife Mary. Miranda Fights is the third book in the Miranda Quinn Legal Twist series.

Olmsted enjoys writing about quirky, wonderful women in search of a second chance at a happy ever after. When not writing, she loves being on the water, especially in a kayak. She is well known for her blonde brownies, and coffee is her love language. For more, visit her on Facebook at gailolmstedauthor.