Valentine PR Presents: To Have And To Heist by Sara Desai; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

To Have and To Heist by Sara Desai is now live! 

#tohaveandtoheist #saradesai #saradesaiwrites 

#romanticcomedy #comedycaper #mystery #heist #ContemporaryRomance #AdultRomance 

#WomensFiction #CozyMystery #AlphaHero 

#BadBoyGoodGirl #BoyFallsFirst #FishOutofWater #FoundFamily #FriendstoLovers #HeroineinDanger #InterracialMulticultural #TragicPast 

#OppositesAttract #valentineprlm

To exonerate her best friend, one woman must mastermind a jewelry heist during the wedding of the season in this hilarious romantic-comedy caper from the author of The Dating Plan. 

Simi Chopra is on a bad-luck streak. She's lost yet another job, her student loan debt won't stop growing, her basement apartment is a certifiable flood zone, and now her best friend has been accused of stealing a multimillion-dollar diamond necklace. To put it lightly, she's desperate for a break—that's right when Jack waltzes out of the bushes and into her life.

Jack is just as charming as he is mysterious. When he offers to help her find the missing necklace and steal it back, Simi jumps at the chance to clear her friend's name and collect the substantial reward. But every good heist needs a crew. All she needs to do is transform a ragtag group of strangers into an elite heist crew, infiltrate a high-society wedding and steal the necklace from a dangerous criminal before the happy couple say "I do." Meanwhile the bride is keeping secrets, a detective with a slow-burn smile keeps showing up at her door, and the ultimate robbery might not be the wedding con, but the way Jack is stealing her heart.

  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/40G48Z6

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/3nPcbo5

Nook: https://bit.ly/3qSRx82

Kobo: https://bit.ly/441V9TC

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3KfYwxX

Audible: https://bit.ly/3O9PZja

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3MehPdv

Meet Sara:

Sara Desai has been a lawyer, radio DJ, marathon runner, historian, bouncer and librarian. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband, kids and an assortment of forest creatures who think they are pets. Sara's diverse romantic comedy books have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, People, Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, The Washington Post, Pop Sugar, Bustle, USA Today, Woman's World, Hello! Canada and many more. When not laughing at her own jokes, Sara can be found eating nachos.

 

Connect with Sara:

Website: www.saradesai.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19379211.Sara_Desai

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/saradesaiwrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saradesaiwrites/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saradesaiwrites/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saradesaiwrites

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sara-desai

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/saradesaiwrites

Hosted By:

Goddess Fish Promotions Presents: Murder At Serengeti Plains by Pat Duggan; #BookTour, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live, #Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.  

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Murder at Serengeti Plains

by Pat Duggan

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

BLURB:

Murder at Serengeti Plains is the third mystery novel in the series, featuring amateur sleuths Hazel Davies and Anna Kohl.  The earlier novels are Murder at Eagles Nest and Could They Be Twins?

The book is set in a new residential subdivision, Serengeti Plains, built by the renowned local builder, Zebra Homes.  It is located in the peaceful, historic town of Centerville, Ohio.  However, peace is shattered when the new residents are awakened one morning by the sound of police sirens.  The procession of police cars, come to rest in their own neighborhood.  A body has been discovered!  Was it an accident or was it murder?

Hazel Davies and Anna Kohl have recently moved into this new subdivision.  They have previously helped the police to solve murders in both Florida and Ohio, but they did not expect to find one on their own doorstep.  When the police begin to look at their friend as the perpetrator, they find themselves drawn into yet another murder investigation.

Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Serengeti-Plains-Pat-Duggan/dp/B09MYYWS71/

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EXCERPTS:

Detective Grant and Officer Kilgore found Noah and Luke in the next street which was a ‘hive’ of activity, with multiple homes in various stage of construction.  Both were trying to focus on the job in hand, while clearly concerned about what was happening in the cul-de-sac.  They had figured someone would come and talk to them when they were ready.  Grant introduced himself and Officer Kilgore, then made a note of their names for his records.

Noah spoke up first and said, “I know you have been over at site 564.  When I looked there seemed to be a body, but I am still hoping I was wrong.  Surely, it cannot be true.  I am hoping it was just a hoax, you know a dummy or something.  Tell us what has actually happened?”

Detective Grant replied, “I am sorry to tell you, it is not a hoax.  We found a body, buried in the gravel basement this morning.  Louis Taylor discovered the hidden body when he and his crew were pouring the concrete for the basement floor.  We are fortunate that it was discovered before they started pouring in the corner where it was hidden.”

Both Noah and Luke were clearly shocked by the news.  Finally, Luke asked, “Do you know who it is?  I mean is it a man or a woman?  And what were they doing on a building site?”

Grant cleared his throat and answered, “Well, it is a man, probably in his late forties.  Unfortunately, there was no identification on the body, so we are still working on an I.D.  In fact, I am hoping you will be able to help me out on that matter.  I have just received a photograph from the coroner’s office.  I am afraid it is a little difficult to look at, but I would appreciate your help if you could just take a look.”

each step inside towards completion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Bio:

Originally from Manchester, England, Pat Duggan moved to the U.S. in 1985.  After a career in finance, which included running her own book-keeping and tax business, in the Cincinnati area, Pat and her partner retired and moved to Oregon.  Years later, they embarked on a five-year journey, traveling across the country in a motorhome.

Writing was a whole new direction for Pat, which began with two non-fiction books – The Power Within and Finding God in an RV.  Then she branched into writing fiction as she turned to her love for solving murder mysteries and the challenge to figure out ‘whodunit!’

Sadly, their traveling days are over, but settling down has brought its own reward as it inspired this latest novel.

Author Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/writesstoriesrealandimagined/

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Pat-Duggan/e/B0845YGGV3/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3153509.Pat_Duggan

GUEST POST:

Topic: Did your travel adventures ad/or your love of murder mysteries help in creating this latest book?

Life in a motorhome traveling from place to place, instills a certain attitude of curiosity.  During the first year of our journey, we traveled across the country, stopping in many places.  These included Glacier National Park, The National Bison Range, Yellowstone, and Mount Rushmore.  In subsequent years we traveled down the East Coast making stops at Washington D.C., Charleston, and Savannah.  We even spent a couple of months traveling around Michigan one summer and on another occasion visited Pennsylvania.  Wherever we went, we took time to visit the local places of interest.

Although our travels do not specifically feature in Murder at Serengeti Plains, the investigative mindset is still active.  When I started this book, I needed a suitable location for my fictitious subdivision.  It was time to check out the area, this time in search of an appropriate town.  With the help of a friend, I found the historic town of Centerville, Ohio, and my ‘tourist’ mindset once again took hold of me.  The rural area just outside of the town was perfect for a new subdivision and the ability to include some of the fascinating history into the book hopefully added to the reader’s experience. 

Of course, my love of murder mysteries has always been helpful in my writing.  My slightly twisted imagination will find a body in the most unusual places.  However, this is just the beginning of the mystery.  A lifetime of watching mystery stories on TV and reading books on the subject has given me a sense of how to solve a problem.  The difficult part is making the story unique, not just rewriting someone else’s work.     

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GIVEAWAY:

Pat Duggan will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By:

Goddess Fish Promotions Presents: Going, Going, Dead by Kirsten Weiss; #BlurbBlitz, #ComingSoon, #TBR, #PreOrder, #Giveaway

Going, Going, Dead

by Kirsten Weiss

GENRE: Cozy mystery

Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning.

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

At an auction, competition can be deadly...

When Maddie attends an estate auction of artifacts from America’s spiritualist era, it’s just another day in the life of a paranormal museum owner…. Until she discovers the body of the murdered auctioneer.

Her mother is convinced the murderer is after a mysterious statuette that once belonged to the town’s Ladies Aid Society. With the holidays approaching, Maddie and friends dive into the mad world of obsessive collectors to find the missing statuette… and a killer.

Maddie tracks her suspects through a secluded gothic estate, in the wineries of Central California, and along the streets of small-town San Benedetto. But this clever criminal is determined to win at all costs. Will the killer use Maddie’s friends as the ultimate weapon against her?

If you love laugh-out-loud mysteries, witty heroines, quirky cats, and a touch of the paranormal, you’ll love Going, Going, Dead, book 6 in the Paranormal Museum mystery series. Read this twisty cozy mystery today!

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JHDP1MG

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1590486555

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/going-going-dead-kirsten-weiss/1140366018? 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kirsten_Weiss_Going_Going_Dead?id=oz1IEAAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/going-going-dead

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

The bell over the door jangled. I shut my laptop and looked up.

My mother strode inside. Cora wafted behind her.

My mom pressed her palms to the glass counter. “I thought I’d find you here. We saw you leave the auction.”

“I didn’t think I should interrupt your interrogation,” I said, somber.

My mother sniffed and adjusted the collar of her denim shirt. “Hardly an interrogation. That deputy was barely out of his teens.”

“We were hoping your Detective Slate would interview us,” Cora admitted.

“But he didn’t,” my mother said. “We saw him leave too. Which means he can’t assist the sheriff, which means you’re somehow involved.”

“I was with Herb when he found the body,” I said.

The two women looked at each other.

“Well then,” my mother said, “I suppose that makes it easier.”

My scalp prickled. “Makes what easier?”

“Your investigation,” my mother said. “Ladies Aid would like to hire you. Pro bono, of course.”

“You mean for free. Was Tracy Hook a member of Ladies Aid?” I asked.

“Was that the person who died?” Cora asked. “No, she isn’t.”

“Then what—?”

“There was something very valuable in that house, Madelyn.” My mother’s lips firmed. “Something important to Ladies Aid. I have no doubt that’s why the auctioneer was murdered.”

“What?” I asked.

“Does this mean you’re taking the case?” my mother asked. “Because I’m afraid I can’t tell you more unless we have a deal and a promise of confidentiality.”

I shook my head to clear it. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

“What’s going on,” she said, “is either you investigate, or we will.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio:

Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop. Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

Author Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss/

Instagram: @KirstenWeissAuthor

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss

Twitter: @kirstenweiss

Website: https://kirstenweiss.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY:

Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By:

Goddess Fish Promotions Presents: Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs; #BookBlast, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live, #Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.  

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Twisted Tea Christmas

by Laura Childs

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blurb:

It’s the week before Christmas as tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton, cater a fancy Victorian Christmas party for Miss Drucilla Heyward, one of Charleston’s wealthy doyennes. But smack dab in the middle of the Fa-la-la’s, Miss Drucilla is murdered, her gold rings stolen off her fingers, and a genuine Renoir snatched off the wall.

The police come screaming in while Theodosia peers speculatively at the guests and wonders – whodunit? Urged on by Miss Drucilla’s personal assistant, Theodosia runs a shadow investigation on suspects that include wealthy neighbors, a handyman named Smokey, an unscrupulous art dealer, and the executive directors of two local charities who were in line for donations.

As Theodosia continually finds herself in hot water, she also hosts numerous holiday tea parties, stumbles upon a second dead body, and shelters a cadre of homeless dogs who come to her rescue in the surprise ending. This Tea Shop Mystery is written with pacing, plot twists, and action reminiscent of a thriller and is liberally sprinkled with the magic of Christmas.

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Christmas-Shop-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B08S7DLKWL/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

Read an Excerpt:

“What’s got you so interested, fella?” Theodosia asked as she snuck up behind Earl Grey and grabbed his collar. She was so intent at clipping on her dog’s leash that she almost didn’t see the dirty hand sticking out of the soil.

When she finally did notice, her mouth turned dry and her brain bonked out a screechy warning that yelped: No. This can’t be happening!

But seeing is believing so Theodosia stole a second look, registered the waxy appendage with dirty curled fingers, and let out a strangled cry.

“Drayton!”

“What?” He was stumbling after his own dog, frustration in his voice.

“Get over here.”

Throwing up his hands, Drayton abandoned his chase, and picked his way toward her. “What’s wrong?”

Heart in her throat, Theodosia pointed to the solitary hand that sprouted from the dank earth like some kind of unholy mushroom.

“There’s a hand sticking out of the dirt.”

“What?” Now Drayton was mumbling to himself about muddying his loafers.

Theodosia stood her ground, though her nerves were firing like rockets, warning her to back off this amateur investigation that had suddenly taken a deadly turn.

“Wait a minute, did you say hand? Human hand?” Drayton honestly thought she was making a bad joke. Trying to frighten him.

“There’s a body buried here. A dead body!”

Reluctantly, Drayton took a step closer. He stared down, let out a loud gasp, and clapped a hand against his chest. “Mercy, I think I need a defibrillator!”

About the Author: 

Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. All have been on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, and has a Chinese Shar-Pei named Lotus.

Website: http://www.laurachilds.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/88924.Laura_Childs

Giveaway:

Laura Childs will be awarding a “Tea Party in a Box,” - a special kit with a tea assortment, English shortbread, chocolates, Laura Childs’ books, and a few more goodies to a randomly drawn winner (USA ONLY) via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By:

Audiobookworm Presents: Donn's Legacy by Caryn Larrinaga; #Audiobook #SeriesTour, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

Author: Caryn Larrinaga

Narrator: Jessica McEvoy

Length: 9 hours 58 minutes

Series: The Soul Searchers Mysteries, Book 3

Released: Sep. 27, 2021

Publisher: Twisted Tree Press

Genre: Supernatural Cozy Mystery

#Supernatural #CozyMystery #MustListen

#LoveAudiobooks #AudiobookTour

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How do you catch a killer who moves like a ghost? Mackenzie Clair is sure she’ll find answers in New Mexico. The mysteries around her mother’s past have haunted her for 20 years, and every sign points toward the truth lurking in her childhood home. But the Donn’s Hill Body Magnet should have known better than to expect a quiet trip. Everywhere Mac goes, ghosts follow. 

All her life, Mac thought her mother’s death was just a tragic accident. But when a tourist dies under suspiciously similar circumstances, connections between Evelyn Clair and more recent victims start stacking up. There’s a serial killer on the prowl, and they’ve set their sights on Donn’s Hill. 

Hard as she tries, Mac can’t convince the police the deaths are related. The murderer is like a ghost, moving through the living world in ways only a psychic can follow. It’s up to Mac to solve the case, but if she can’t sift through the clues from her past, she won’t live to see her future.

 

Caryn Larrinaga is a Basque-American mystery and horror writer. She has been a Dragon Award finalist and won multiple awards for her work, including the League of Utah Writers Silver Quill (Donn’s Hill, 2017) and the Cat Writers Association Certificate of Excellence (Donn’s Legacy, 2020). In 2021, she was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. 

Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child, and those nightmares inspire her to write now. Her 90-year-old house has a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed. 

Caryn lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their clowder of cats. Caryn is an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Cat Writers Association, the League of Utah Writers, and the Utah Chapter of the Horror Writers Association.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram⎮Goodreads

 

 

Between peddling video games and teaching yoga in her home state of Arizona, Jessica McEvoy attempts to conduct a career as a professional voice actress. This, however, is moderately undermined by the fact that she records in a dimly lit closet with her microphone balanced on a stack of old board games (Junior Scrabble and Powerpuff Girls Monopoly form a strong foundation), but she hopes that no one holds that against her. Though her main work consists of narrating audiobooks, her first dive into the voice world was through the NoSleep podcast after answering a post from the LibriVox forums. Having been raised on horror movies and scary stories, she was beyond excited to be able to work on the show. Many stories, tortured screams, deranged villains, and creepy little girl giggles later, Jessica hopes to work on the podcast for seasons and seasons to come.

Twitter 

 

View the full tour schedule here!

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Sign up as a tour host here.

Valentine PR Presents: Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall is now live!

#AlexisHall #kobooriginal #kobobooks #murdermostactual #cozymystery #lgbtqbooks #LGBTQA+ #MarriedCouple #Ontherocks #Vacation #BritishHero #valentineprlm

From the author of Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake comes a cozy mystery that revisits the Golden Age of detective fiction, starring a heroine who's more podcaster than private eye and topped with a lethal dose of parody -- perfect for fans of Clue, Knives Out, and Only Murders in the Building!

When up-and-coming true crime podcaster Liza and her corporate financier wife Hanna head to a luxurious hotel in the Scottish Highlands, they're hoping for a chance to rekindle their marriage - not to find themselves trapped in the middle of an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery with no way home. But who better to take on the case than someone whose entire profession relies on an obsession with all things mysterious and macabre? Though some of her fellow guests may consider her an interfering new media hack, Liza knows a thing or two about crime and - despite Hanna's preference for waiting out the chaos behind a locked door - might be the only one capable of discovering the killer. As the bodies rack up and the stakes rise, can they save their marriage -- and their lives?

Download on Kobo!

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3EMWSQL

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/39xTqeb

Coming soon to the Libby app!

Meet Alexis:

Alexis Hall is an English author of urban fantasy, science fiction, and m/m romance. His novels include Murder Most Actual, Boyfriend Material, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, For Real, Glitterland, Iron & Velvet, Looking for Group, and Pansies.

His work has been nominated for to the 26th Lambda Literary Awards, 28th Lambda Literary Awards, and 29th Lambda Literary Awards in the category of Gay Romance.

Some Upcoming titles:
- Something Fabulous
- Husband Material
- Viola & Gracewood
- Winner Bakes All Series Book #2

Connect with Alexis:

Website: https://quicunquevult.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/alexishall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicunquevult

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicunquevult/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicunquevult

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alexis-hall

Hosted By:

Audiobookworm Presents: Donn's Hill by Caryn Larrinaga; #Audiobook #SeriesTour, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

Author: Caryn Larrinaga

Narrator: Jessica McEvoy

Length: 9 hours 54 minutes

Series: The Soul Searchers Mysteries, Book 1

Released: Aug. 1, 2017

Publisher: Twisted Tree Press

Genre: Supernatural Cozy Mystery

#Supernatural #CozyMystery #MustListen #LoveAudiobooks #AudiobookTour

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"Grief can change us... rewire our brains and shift the way we look at the world..." 

After returning home from her father's funeral to find her boyfriend in bed with another woman, Mackenzie Clair is looking for a fresh start. She thinks she'll find it in her favorite childhood vacation spot, but returning to Donn's Hill awakens more than nostalgia. Mac regains a lost psychic ability to talk to the dead, and the poltergeist haunting her apartment is desperate to make her use that gift to find his killer. 

Aided by her new roommate - a spirited Tortoiseshell cat named Striker, and the ghost-hunting crew of the nationally televised show Soul Searchers, Mac struggles to learn how to use her powers. But she'd better get a handle on them fast, because someone in town is hiding a deadly secret. If Mac can't somehow divine the truth, Donn's Hill will never be the same.

 

Caryn Larrinaga is a Basque-American mystery and horror writer. She has been a Dragon Award finalist and won multiple awards for her work, including the League of Utah Writers Silver Quill (Donn’s Hill, 2017) and the Cat Writers Association Certificate of Excellence (Donn’s Legacy, 2020). In 2021, she was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child, and those nightmares inspire her to write now. Her 90-year-old house has a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed. Caryn lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their clowder of cats. Caryn is an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Cat Writers Association, the League of Utah Writers, and the Utah Chapter of the Horror Writers Association.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram⎮Goodreads

Q&A with Author Caryn Larrinaga

• How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
  • The first thing everyone has to learn how to pronounce is usually my name (it’s “Kuh-rin” but most people try to say it like “Karen”). :)
  • Jessica is amazing, so it was super easy to work with her on all three of these books. We talked about how certain words should be pronounced, especially the names of Elder Futhark and Ogham runes in Donn’s Legacy. For the main characters, we talked a little bit about their personalities and how they should sound, but overall I left it up to Jessica to decide how she wanted to bring each character to life. It was the right call - she’s a genius at packing a character’s spirit into their voices.
• Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
  • Spookily, yes! A lot of the ghosts Mac encounters are inspired by the actual experiences of friends and family (like the poltergeist my mom encountered). And Striker the cat is pulled straight from real life - she’s the immortalization of my sweet tortie cat who was feisty and playful until she passed away at 20.
• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
  • There’s one piece of advice I’ve heard again and again but still always need to hear: celebrate everything. Every milestone of the writing process, every email from a reader who loved a story, every opportunity to connect with other writers and new readers. They’re all worth marking and savoring. It’s a habit I fall out of sometimes, but it seems like right when I need it most, there’s a writing conference or a speaker’s bureau night with someone like Tim Waggoner where I’m reminded about it.
• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
  • Definitely! My favorite thing about it is that my husband and I can experience the book together. We love listening while we’re in the car or to wind down at night. I’ve gotten him into supernatural romance and
• Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
• If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
  • Oh man, I would want to do so much! I’m assuming I wouldn’t be allowed to change anything (I don’t want to Homer Simpson myself into a world where it rains donuts… or do I?). So if all I could do was be a spectator at some event, I’d go back and sit in on one of the seances Houdini’s wife held after he died because I bet they were deliciously spooky.
• How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
  • The last couple of weeks of writing a novel are a massive sprint for me. The words come more easily but they also sort of come all at once, and my brain needs a break after. So I like to take a week off from writing, play way too much Civilization 5 while eating chocolate covered orange sticks and pickle flavored Lays, then come back with a fresh mind for editing.
• What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
  • When I’m feeling stuck on my longer projects, I like to switch to writing short stories and get that sweet sweet dopamine hit from finishing something. Try it! It also helps me to finish a big chore I’ve been putting off, like reorganizing the Closet of Mysteries in my den while I listen to some synthwave. Using my hands and letting my brain roam free can sometimes unlock whatever barrier has me slumping.
  • I definitely get into reading slumps too. Genre hopping helps me with that. Last spring I got super into reading romances and tore through all the Bridgerton books before switching back to paranormal horror and cozy mysteries, haha.
• What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
  • I’d say to start by focusing on building a good writing habit. Pick an attainable word count (for example, 500 words per day) and work toward hitting that. Then work on hitting it every day for a month. That’s been the most important thing for me, and that daily habit is how I get things done.
• Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
  • Don’t rush the process of finding the right narrator. Take your time and keep looking for the right fit. That’s how you end up getting to work with someone as phenomenal as Jessica.
• What’s next for you?
  • My collection of short horror stories, Dread Softly, just released last month. One of those stories (“The Bump”) will be coming out in audio as part of the Untold Tales Podcast, and later as an animated special from TKMV Studio. I love this story and the children’s voices in it are soooooo creepy. I hope folks will check it out!

Between peddling video games and teaching yoga in her home state of Arizona, Jessica McEvoy attempts to conduct a career as a professional voice actress. This, however, is moderately undermined by the fact that she records in a dimly lit closet with her microphone balanced on a stack of old board games (Junior Scrabble and Powerpuff Girls Monopoly form a strong foundation), but she hopes that no one holds that against her. Though her main work consists of narrating audiobooks, her first dive into the voice world was through the NoSleep podcast after answering a post from the LibriVox forums. Having been raised on horror movies and scary stories, she was beyond excited to be able to work on the show. Many stories, tortured screams, deranged villains, and creepy little girl giggles later, Jessica hopes to work on the podcast for seasons and seasons to come.

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