Tag: New Release

When Did We Lose Sylvia? #NewRelease by @VeraDayAuthor

Published on by Joan Hall

Hey, Readers. I’m happy to announce a new release, the debut novel of author Vera Day. I say debut because this is the first she’s written under that pen name. Most of you know her as Priscilla Bettis, author of several horror novels. Vera is now writing Christian Cozy Mysteries.

Blurb

Southern humor, faith, and murder intersect in the tiny town of Tulip, Texas.

Betty Bell is a famous poet, or at least a local celebrity, in the tiny town of Tulip, Texas. Gossip runs amok when a Goth teenager, Sylvia Smith, and her elderly grandfather arrive. Even worse, they’ve moved into the creepy, old Sanchez place on the outskirts of town.

Betty volunteers to teach a summer poetry class to restless Tulip teens. Soon, the kids are expressing themselves in stellar stanzas and heart-rending rhymes. But what was supposed to be a summer of ministering to the teens becomes a season of sleuthing when one of Betty’s students, the spooky Sylvia, goes missing.

When Sylvia turns up dead, suspicions point to Sylvia’s reclusive grandfather. Deputy Miller is a good man and excellent investigator, but after a second death shakes the small town, Betty is convinced the deputy is after the wrong suspect. Betty, her left-brained husband Larry, and her quirky friend Flora must use haunting haikus, couplet clues, and lots of prayer to track down the real killer.

Author Bio

Vera Day is an avid reader and a joyful writer. After decades coasting along as a lukewarm Christian, and after a few more years of writing in a secular genre under a different pen name, she experienced a series of events that can only be described as epiphanic… in the God sense, not the light bulb sense, though that also applies.

Now Vera Day writes in a new genre, the faith-inspired cozy mystery.

Vera lives in small-town Texas with her two-legged and four-legged family members. Her neighbor is a cow, but as far as neighbors go, Daisy is a good ’un!

When Did We Lose Sylvia? is Vera’s first cozy mystery novel.

Vera is a member of The Well Read Fish Christian fiction book review team.

Connect with Vera: https://twitter.com/VeraDayAuthor

Vera is traveling today so I’ve closed comments, but I hope you’ll help spread the word and check out her new book. Available on Amazon through this link.

Guest Author D L Finn: In The Tree’s Shadow

Published on by Joan Hall62 Comments

Hey, Readers. It’s always a pleasure to host other authors and today’s guest is my friend, D. L. Finn. Denise writes fiction and poetry and is also a contributing author for Story Empire. She has a new release and is here to talk about it today. Please welcome Denise!

Thank you for having me visit, Joan, to talk about my latest story collection, In the Tree’s Shadow.

Today I’m talking about a story close to my heart, The Dolphin. I originally wrote it for the much-missed and loved Suzanne Burke’s ‘Fiction in A Flash Challenge!’ The image was a beautiful photo of a dolphin jumping up in joy. So, with my name being dlfinn—or dolphin—I had to write a short. I was surprised by where it took me.

My older grandchildren, now teenagers, would spend the night, and we’d always make some popcorn and watch a movie together. For a while, their favorite was Mona, and the conversation turned to the grandma passing in the movie. Like the grandma who returned as a string ray, I assured them I would return as a dolphin. They liked that I’d still be around in a unique form. So, the story was written for them.

I hope that Suzanne has found her joy, and may the rest of us find ours— when we travel to the other side.

BLURB:

A collection of short stories where dreams and nightmares coexist.

Nestled inside these pages, you’ll meet a couple in their golden years who take a trip with an unexpected detour, a boy desperate to give his brother the Christmas gift he asked for, a girl with a small glass dragon who is at the mercy of her cruel uncles, and a young mother who has a recurring dream about murder. You’ll be introduced to worlds where people get second chances and monsters might be allowed their desires while angels and dragons try to help. Happy endings occur, but perspective can blur the line between good and evil in these twenty-seven tales. Since the stories vary between 99 and 12,000 words, whether you have only five minutes or an entire evening to settle into reading, there is something that will suit your time and taste.

EXCERPT:

The cool winter sun reflected off the blue ocean, making my eyes water. I blinked hard to clear my vision as I dove back in. Why did my children and grandchildren huddle on the white, sandy beach? Didn’t they want to swim with me? My oldest grandson, Peter, walked to the water’s edge. He tossed a lei of pink plumeria into the waves. Those flowers reminded me of the beautiful day Bob and I renewed our vows for our fiftieth wedding anniversary on a stunning Hawaiian beach.

I jumped high into the air and called out, “Where did you get the flowers, Peter?”

An enormous wave crashed against the rocks, drowning out my words.

Peter stood with his arms folded over a black shirt and the dolphin tie I’d bought him when he graduated from college last year. The incoming waves soaked the bottom of his black pants.

I shook my head and tried again. “The water’s great! Join me!”

Louder breaking waves masked my words, leaving only a whistle.

A small pod of dolphins approached and swam urgently around me.

“What’s wrong? Are you protecting me?” I scanned the area, but there were no sharks or other dangers.

A lone dolphin seemed to be watching me. A familiar chill ran through me as another gently brushed against my legs. I dove underwater to get a better look.

AMAZON PURCHASE LINK

FUN FINN FACTS:

I have a signed poster next to my computer from Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart.

I live with four cats. Our feral has his own room and is the only cat to go outside.

BIO:

D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, a unique autobiography, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.

D.L. Finn Links:

Twitter

Bookbub

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

D.L. Finn blog

Amazon Page

Doesn’t this sound exciting? Be sure to hop over to Amazon and grab your copy!

Guest Author Gwen Plano ~ Redemption: A Father’s Fatal Decision

Published on by Joan Hall33 Comments

Hey, Readers. It’s my pleasure to host Gwen Plano today. She is a friend and fellow Story Empire colleague. She writes fiction and poetry and is here to talk about her latest release, Redemption A Father’s Fatal Decision. Please welcome Gwen.

Thank you, Joan, for inviting me to your site today. It’s a pleasure to visit your readers and share a bit about my new release.

Redemption, A Father’s Fatal Decision is a mystery thriller that takes place in the Southeast corner of New York state, in the towns of New Rochelle and Cortlandt. The characters occasionally travel to Old Lyme, Connecticut, but for the most part, the drama is in New York. Having spent about twenty years in and around that area, it was exciting to visit as a writer.

The book tackles themes of forgiveness, redemption, and absolution through suspense. We accompany the son and daughter of the deceased as they try to uncover the reason for their father’s murder. What they discover prompts them to ask if they even knew him.

Sometimes complicated situations help us see our own challenges in a different light. That is my hope for this book. Most of us won’t experience threats like those of my characters, but pain is universal, as is joy. Seeing either in the extreme helps us recognize our own—and severe or elated, those emotions are impactful.  

In the excerpt below, Lisa and Trace Holmes meet with the New Rochelle police captain. His team had searched a secluded cabin owned by their father and found both damming information and important documents for his two adult children. The captain presents a deed to a property in Connecticut.

Excerpt

“Take a look at this and read the note. There’s a key taped to the paper.” The captain pulls the deed from a file and hands it to Trace.

Their brows furrow while they read:

Trace and Lisa, your mother loves this area of Connecticut. She dreamed of having a cottage of her own. Please, take care of her when I’m gone.

Trace covers his face with his hands and fights tears. “I’ve hated him for so long.”

Lisa rubs his back and wipes away tears.

The captain waits a few minutes before continuing. Once they compose themselves, he tells them a story. “A while back, a preacher talked to me about redemption. He said it’s like clearing debt. Action or actions a person takes to free himself from a burden. Sound familiar? I believe your father tried to redeem himself by taking actions he thought would clear his debt. I suspect that intention lies behind his final act of refusing to hand over the crown jewel. In his mind, it was payment.”

Trace’s lips tighten, and he thinks about what the captain has shared. “So, the jewel and money absolve him of thirty-five years of abuse?”

“No.” Davis shakes his head. “But, in his mind, he saw it as payment. Absolution is another matter entirely. That’s God’s work, not mine or yours. I’m not a preacher type, but I’ve lived long enough to put pieces of a puzzle together. I conclude that forgiveness is our responsibility, and I’ve arrived at my own definition, which I’d like to share with you.”

Blurb

Family secrets can be deadly. When Lisa Holmes visits her parents one fateful Saturday morning, she hugs her father and walks to her childhood bedroom. The doorbell rings. Her father opens the door, and one minute later, he lies dead on the floor—three bullets to the chest.

The Holmes family lives on a quiet street, but no one really knows Eric Holmes. He travels for business and comes home a few days each month. Unbeknown to all, Eric has multiple lives.

In this fast-paced psychological thriller, Lisa and her brother, Trace, embark on a quest to solve the mystery involving the murder of their father. The journey takes them into a secret world where nothing is as it seems. As the puzzle pieces begin to coalesce, they discover the meaning of Redemption.

About Gwen

Connect With Gwen

BookBub  

Goodreads

Story Empire

Twitter

Blog

Amazon Author Page

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Other Books by Gwen

Menagerie Book Tour: Day Thirteen With Teri Polen

Published on by Joan Hall

Hey, Readers. Today is the thirteenth and final stop of the Menagerie book tour. As you know, it’s a collection of thirteen stories, released on Friday, January 13. (And no, I’m not superstitious.) Today’s story is titled “Mystery Woman.” It’s in the supernatural suspense genre.

My host today is Teri Polen. Many of you know her for her annual month-long feature, Bad Moon Rising, but she is also the author of several YA books. Don’t let the genre fool you, adults can enjoy these books as well. Teri also contributed to the time travel anthology, Quantum Wanderlust which I was also a part of. You can view a list of all her stories by visiting her Amazon Author page.

Like me, Teri is a cat lover and often posts about her fur baby, Bond. Yes, Bond, as in James Bond.

If you missed any of the stops, a list is below. I’ve closed comments here, but I hope to see you on this final day at Teri’s site.

Menagerie Book Tour: Day Twelve With Judi Lynn

Published on by Joan Hall

Hey, Readers. Welcome to stop number twelve of the Menagerie blog tour. At each place, I feature a different story in the collection and tell what inspired the idea. Today’s story is titled, “Seven Days,” a contemporary fiction piece that almost everyone can relate to these days.

Judi Lynn is my host today. She is a USA Today best-selling author for her book, The Body in The Attic. She began her writing career with urban fantasy, then switched to romance, and now cozy mysteries. Judi is a busy writer with her popular series, The Jazzi Zanders Mysteries as well as The Karnie Cleaver Mysteries. You can find all her books on her Amazon author page.

Below is a list of the stops. Links will be updated as each post goes live. Comments are closed here, but pop over to Judi’s site and visit me there.