Cass Elliot #Crime Novels - #99cent Christmas #Book #Sale

As a thank you to everyone who has shown an interest in the Cass Elliot Crime series, the ebooks are only 99cents from Christmas Day through New Year's Day.

Click on a cover below to meet the characters you'll love, and those you'll love to hate!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

#Gratitude in a Time of Loss

This has been a year of loss for my family. A year of agonizing choices and heartbreak we simply weren't prepared to handle. At least not so soon. Although it was a painful decision, we chose to move my father to a nursing home in May 2015. We've been losing him for years thanks to a slowly advancing case of Alzheimer's, but keeping him at home any longer was too dangerous for my mother.


And then, completely unexpectedly, my mother died in September 2015. We're still in a a state of disbelief that she's gone, and here we are, at Thanksgiving. While I've come face-to-face with many of the firsts I'll have without her, this is the first holiday. It's been a hard one.

Grief is the price we pay for loving someone, and even knowing that, I'll choose to love. We are only one of too many families who are hurting right now, and who will struggle through this holiday season. My heart breaks for them, too. But there is no going back, so I'm moving forward and remembering the many things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving.

My husband has been a rock solid support as we've moved through the changes in my dad's Alzheimer's and my mother's death. He handles my grief with grace and patience, bolsters me when I don't think I can bear to go to the nursing home, and makes my dad laugh. He's a beautiful human, and I'm grateful to have him.

One of my mother's greatest fears was that she would live long enough to experience severe dementia, as her mother and husband have. As much as I hate losing her, I am so thankful that she died lightning fast, and that her fear of a lingering death will never be realized.

 

I am grateful to be a Christian, and know that my mom is at home with her Heavenly Father. She's having a great time in heaven, setting up bridge games and singing in the angelic choir. (If cards were banned in heaven before September 12, 2015, you can bet they're allowed now. She's persuasive that way, and we're talking bridge, folks.)

From what I've seen, Alzheimer's manifests itself differently for each person. In my dad's case, he's lost his knowledge of who he is, where he is, who we are, and how to do so many simple things. But his fundamental personality, the 'who' of him, is the same. He's funny and sweet and forgiving. I'm so grateful that even though he can't speak clearly any longer, his smile and his laugh make him my dad again.

One of the best things that's come from my mom's death is that my brothers and I are closer than we've been in many, many years. Like most families, we've moved in and out of each others orbits as our lives have changed. We're working through the business of mom's death and dad's stay in the nursing home together, which greatly lightens the load.

I'm also grateful that at last, my writing mojo is coming back. It's been a slow process, but the words are there again, and this next Cass Elliot book? Hold on to your hats - there are some great twists coming.

Last, but definitely not least, I'm grateful to the many readers who have picked up a Cass Elliot novel and loved it, then demanded more.

To each of you, have a wonderful holiday season and when the turkey and family togetherness are just too much, go escape into a book!



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#Alzheimers : The New A-Bomb

My dad has the A-word. Alzheimer's.

There. I've said it. It's out in the wide world. Do I feel better? Hell no.

Mom, Dad, and one Little Bro

It's an agonizing topic and one so many of us still find hard to talk about. Because dementia and hardening of the arteries and Alzheimer's and the dirty old man down the street with his fly open and the crazy old woman next door who screams nonsense at your kids are part of that ocean of topics so uncomfortable that they're best avoided, not just at dinner parties, but at all times.


I have one friend who giggles on the rare occasions she asks about my dad. Not because she's insensitive, but because she has no idea what to expect when I answer. And from there, what to ask next.

We're at that spot with Alzheimer's where we were with the C-word decades ago. Nobody talked about cancer back then. Now? You can't turn on the TV or go online without an ad flashing up promoting cancer awareness, a fundraiser, and treatment options.

Options.

What a beautiful word. To think that so many people who were doomed to death the minute they heard the C-word now have treatment options, and in many cases, a very good chance of not just survival, but regaining a normal life - wow.

Today, right now, late 2015, Alzheimer's cannot be prevented, cured, or slowed down. Hear that? In America, over 5 million people have the disease and the numbers are increasing (according to the Alzheimer's Association). World wide? The World Health Organization says 47.5 million people have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the leading cause. An additional 7.7 million cases arise each year. Each year. What do these numbers mean? If you don't know someone who has Alzheimer's, the odds are extremely high that you soon will.

 

Who's at risk? Everybody with a brain. Yes, that means you and me.

Chew on that for a while.

Let's face it: most of the folks diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's as of today are beyond hope. My dad included. The science isn't there to help them. But science might grow to the point that those of us who look at the future with trepidation given what we know from personal experience, might have a chance.



Little will happen unless we talk about the A-word - that horrible condition when people who were previously rational and well-spoken can no longer find at least one word they want in every sentence. They can no longer find their way from the kitchen table to their comfy old recliner in the living room. They don't even remember they have a chair. Or a living room. Or even who they are.


Part of the problem is that we don't have a language around Alzheimer's. We know what to ask when someone receives a cancer diagnosis. We might not understand all the ins and outs, but we get the concept of biopsies, of chemo, of radiation, of surgeries to remove tumors, of reconstruction. We understand when the people we love are worn out or ill after a treatment and know that with time, hopefully the side effects will lessen.

Some people have the courage to ask how my dad is doing, and I'm so appreciative. But I have few words to describe how a man who still looks like he has a clue, has only a partial clue on one day, a pretty good clue on another, and absolutely no clue or ability to respond on another. How his eyes give away his state at any moment. That absolute blank look of no recognition. How they light up when he recognizes one of us, even if he doesn't know how we fit in his world. How some days he can pick up a glass of water and drink it, and others he doesn't know what water or a glass is.

I need to find those words. Not just for me, but for him and everyone else who struggles with a loved one who has Alzheimer's. So please keep asking.

Bobbie Sue Cammack Woods

Why this bleak post from a banker turned crime author who usually sees the bizarrely funny in everything? Why now?

Because my dad's Alzheimer's killed my mother on September 12, 2015.

She was a relatively healthy seventy-five year old woman who should've lived to be in her nineties. Her death certificate cites some blah blah about cardiovascular issues, but my dad's Alzheimer's took her out.



She died from the grief of watching the man she was married to for fifty-five years disappear by inches, losing himself, her, and every bit of the world they'd built together. She died from the guilt of moving him to a nursing home when she could no longer make him understand "stand up", or "get in the shower" or "eat your breakfast". When he could no longer tell us where it hurt and when he forgot how to put his socks on, or even what socks are. She died from the hope and exhaustion of trying to heal him, when now, today, there is no hope.

What do I want by publishing this post? I want this f*cking disease to die. To stop dead in its tracks. But I can't have that. Not yet. So for right now, I'll take courage and compassion. For those with the disease and those who care for them. Because Alzheimer's kills them both.

I want the conversation around Alzheimer's to change, to get to the point where we are with the C-word. For people to have the courage to ask: what stage of Alzheimer's is he in, and what does that mean? Is she still eating solid food or has she moved on to blended meals and thickened liquids? Can he still walk? How's her speech? Did he know you today? Is she still continent and if not, have you found the right kind of diapers to help her stay as dry as possible?

I want people to listen to the answers. And then ask what they can do to help. Offer something as simple as sitting with an Alzheimer's patient so their caregiver can take a break. Offer to run an errand. Stop by the nursing home to visit a friend or relative with Alzheimer's. Take the time to talk to them and listen to the answers, garbled and nonsensical though those answers may be. Show them compassion and humor and respect for who you remember them to be (even if they don't remember who they are).

Stop being afraid of the dirty old man down the street with his fly open and the crazy old woman next door who screams nonsense at your kids. Look at them through compassionate eyes and wonder if, rather than simply being nuts, they have a need. And then have the courage to ask how you can help.


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Want to #Write Better, Faster? Enroll in Autumn Birt's (@Weifarer) New #Writing Course!

Are you a writer? If so, are you meeting your writing goals?

Meet my friend and fellow author Autumn Birt, who wrote 4 1/2 books in one year and wants to share the techniques and tools that helped her achieve that goal. This isn't just about typing faster, this is about producing quality work in a short period of time. Autumn is offering a pilot class to teach us what she's learned, and to work one-on-one with authors. If you're interested in writing better, faster, read on for more information from Autumn!

_________________________

Writing is a passion, one usually cobbled together from stolen moments and highs of inspiration. But if you get the writing bug and you get it bad, finding enough time is often a source of frustration.

Why write more?

Because fans like to read more. That is my number one answer. I’m a reader as well as a writer. I’ve fallen in love with a series that I’ve stayed with for 3 years and am now anxiously awaiting the last book - which should come out in two years. That is a whole lot of anxious waiting! And let’s not talk about another story I love that currently exists as short stories spread across several e-zines and books. I have meticulously copied all of them to one spot. I am her number one fan. She has plans to write a book … someday. I want to cry.

So yeah, keeping fans from becoming the frustrated and then jaded reader I am today is definitely a goal. When I was a teenager, a new book a year was acceptable. It still is, even though THAT was quite a while ago and long before ebooks. Now, a new book every six months is considered a professional target. More often is great. Fans want to be filled with anticipation - not angst.


And professional is the other reason to write and release more books, great books. Because let’s face it, if you have any hope of making a decent income from writing, one where you can potentially scale back that full time job to write, you either need to write and release more or have a really good retirement plan lined up. I’m not a teenager anymore, but I don’t want to wait that long to write full time!

So I committed myself to writing more and writing better because I not only love it, but want to make it a career. With a lot of trial and error, I developed seven key techniques and five writing tools that worked. How well? I wrote 4 ½ books in a year and they are the best I’ve written so far.

To be clear, I’m not talking about typing faster. Who cares how fast you typed a page if you end up deleting it? Meeting a writing goal of producing more novels in a year means creating a great story faster. And there are tips, tricks, and tools to do that. It is a paradigm shift to believe writing more in a limited time is achievable.


It is possible. I’m proof. But I want to be more than proof. I want to help other writers do the same thing. Seriously!

Writing time is a limited resource. Use it well.

I’m serious about teaching this to other authors. So serious that I’m launching a pilot class to not only teach the seven techniques and those five customizable tools, but also to work one-on-one with the students to make sure those same tactics work for them. Everyone is different and in a different situation. I want everyone to be successful.

Since this is a trial course with lots of coaching, enrollment is very limited. If you are interested in learning more please contact me at autumn.birt@gmail.com. I’d love to talk to you!

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Autumn is a bestselling author in fantasy, epic fantasy, and war - not all on the same series though! She is the author of the epic fantasy, adventure trilogy on elemental magic, the Rise of the Fifth Order. Her newest series is Friends of my Enemy, a military dystopian / dark fantasy tale laced with romance. Friends of my Enemy will be released in full in 2015 and will be quite the story full of strong characters, tight plots, and lots of action. Meanwhile, she is working on a new epic fantasy trilogy, Games of Fire, set in the same world as the Rise of the Fifth Order. If she stops goofing off and enjoying hobbies such as hiking, motorcycling, and kayaking, she may even be able to release the first book in 2015 too.

Stop by her website and blog to learn more about the worlds of her books at www.AutumnWriting.com. You can also find Autumn on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Author.Autumn.Birt or more frequently on twitter @Weifarer.

#Interview Part 2: The Worst #Advice I Ever Got About #Writing (and more) on @NChristie_OH 's Blog

Join me on Nancy Christie's blog for Part 2 of our interview. (See Part 1 here.) We dig into the part of the writing process that makes me break out in hives; story inspiration; title creation (something I totally stink at); the most difficult book I've written; the challenges and rewards of self-publishing; and more!

Nancy Christie is a woman worth knowing whether you're a reader or writer. She's a full-time author, speaker, and instructor, teaching at conferences and in classrooms across the country. She also has a huge heart and is a lovely person to know.



You can find Nancy on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, or on her website where you'll find links to her writing blogs and upcoming speaking gigs.

#Interview Part 1: #Banker Turned #Crime Author. How Does THAT Happen? Find out on @NChristie_OH 's blog!

Join me for Part 1 of an interview on speaker and author Nancy Christie's blog where we talk my transition from international banking to crime fiction; the event that triggered my desire to write; the writing process; some of my favorite authors; writer's block; and more. She's an inquisitive gal and her questions were unique and a blast to answer!


Haven't met Nancy? She's a full-time author, speaker, and instructor, teaching at conferences and in classrooms across the country. (A busy woman indeed, and a lovely person to know.)




You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, or on her website where you'll find links to her writing blogs and upcoming speaking gigs.

(Part 2 of this interview is now live! You can find it here.)

#Book Launch Party at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards is a Success! #wine #murder

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards in Pittsburg, TX to celebrate the release of A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES. We had a fabulous time with wine, food, books, solo jazz guitar from Martyn Popey, a reading, and cupcakes!

The mystery in A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES revolves around a winery in East Texas, and Los Pinos gave the crowd a chance to experience the novel's setting first hand (and sample the wine, of course). I couldn't have asked for a better evening for a party, or a better group of wine and book lovers to celebrate with!

The wine was a big hit.

Introducing the crowd to Maxine Leverrman.

Talking technology with Kathy Shelton and Rylee Woods

Beautiful flowers from beautiful friends.

Mini cupcakes for Maxine. Shoes and handbags? But of course.

There are some perks to being a musician's wife.

With friends Johnna and Kevin Fullen.

What Do You Do When Your #Characters Won't Shut Up? #amwriting

Has a character ever invaded your head and refused to move? It happened to me when I finished AVENGERS OF BLOOD, the second Cass Elliot Crime Novel, and it was quite annoying. You know what it's like when you finish a novel. You edit like crazy, obsess over the cover, finally get to the point when you're satisfied, push the 'publish' button, and collapse.




Then you write the next book.




That's what I dug in to do. But one of the characters who appeared about halfway through AVENGERS OF BLOOD wouldn't leave my head. Her name is Maxine Leverman and we learned that she's Cass Elliot's best friend from childhood, that they lost touch during Maxine's marriage years, and that she's come home to Arcadia because she wants Cass to find the man who raped her, and then kill him. That's where we left things at the end of AVENGERS OF BLOOD.

Sounds simple enough, right? I expected that she'd show up in the next Cass Elliot Novel as the hunt for the rapist continued, probably as a subplot since I already had an idea for the next Cass novel.

But Maxine wouldn't shut up. She kept popping up at random times, enticing me into thinking about what could happen next for her. I was working on that third Cass Elliot novel but making little headway and finally decided that to get rid of Maxine, I'd have to write her out of my head.

So I decided to do it.

Trouble was, I didn't have a place in my imaginary Forney County for Maxine. I didn't know how she fit in the world. I was whining about this one day to the gals I work with in real life, and they came up with the idea of a private investigative firm. One even offered a name: Lost and Found (thanks Babby!). It was perfect. There's no way Maxine could be a real police detective like her friend Cass, but she might be able to work as a PI. That was settled; Maxine had a place in the world.

But then I realized I had a bigger problem: Maxine needed a mystery to solve, and I didn't have one for her.




Over time, I've realized that my story lines reflect my outrage over an injustice that I believe hasn't been satisfied. My outrage at the time of the Maxine drama was directed toward the men who cheated on several of my friends. Mid-life crisis, alcohol / drug fueled idiotic decision making, or a savior complex, it didn't matter. They all had inane and mundane reasons for cheating, and they lost women who had financial and community resources. They lost family, friends, their reputations.

One even had to leave town.

Stupid. All of them.

When one of your friends is in this situation, there's little you can do to ease her pain except be there, and help her excavate his electronic devices.




Unless you're me: then you write him into a novel and kill him.




Suddenly, I had a mystery for Maxine: a cheating spouse who's disappeared, a wife who's desperate to find him and stop him hemorrhaging their money, and a newbie PI at Lost and Found Investigations who secretly takes the case.

That's where A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES came from, and as irritated as I was with Maxine for banging around in my head for so long, I'm grateful she did. I absolutely love the book, the characters, and the story. I hope you do, too.

I was serious when I wrote the title of this post: what do you do when your characters won't shut up?


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Many Thanks to MoeJo's and @VivraPatricia for a Fabulous Book Signing!

Our Friday night book signing at MoeJo's Coffee Cafe in downtown Henderson, TX was an absolute hoot! The coffee, the music, and the people were great. Thanks to everyone who came out to share the evening with us, to Martyn Popey for his solo jazz guitar performance, and to all those who purchased books.

Vivra Beene and I are discussing our potential future as the "Deadly Duo" and plans for upcoming book signings. Stay posted!

Paranormal punishments and outright murder, at your service.

One of my brothers. He's bigger. I'm meaner.

Another book lover. Another friend.

My talented husband. I am a lucky girl.

The British. Plotting to take back America, one spouse, one acre at a time.

Miss Laverne. Any woman who loves books is my friend.

Swag! Come to the next event to get yours!

A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES Named a Finalist in First Chapter Contest! #books #mystery #award

The first Maxine Leverman novel, A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES, was named one of five finalists in the 2015 East Texas Writers Guild First Chapter Contest! Competition was stiff, with entries submitted from Australia, Europe, Africa, and across North America. I'm honored to have won an award among such talent.

Check out the other winners on the Venture Galleries blog. You might find new material for your reading list!

Book Signing and Jazz with @VivraPatricia in Henderson TX Friday, June 26

Join fellow East Texas author Vivra Beene and myself on Friday night, June 26 at MoJoe's Coffee Cafe in downtown Henderson, Texas. We'll be signing books, reading a few passages, and enjoying live jazz by guitarist Martyn Popey. (You want to hear Vivra read. She's Welsh. Her paranormal stories are spooky. Enough said. And you want to hear Martyn play. He's phenomenal. And my husband. Enough said.)

Our event starts at six o'clock and ends at eight, when a live band takes the stage from Martyn. You can find MoJoe's on Facebook for details and directions.

We hope to see you there!

Genesis of a Novel: That Dirty Rotten Lousy Stinking No-Good Dog of a Man

People sometimes ask where I find inspiration for my books, and so far, my ideas have come from real life. The title of this blog post kind of gives away the events behind A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES, but I'll fill you in on some of the particulars.

It's been a busy time for cheating spouses in East Texas. Women cheat, no doubt. But lately, it's the guys who have been up to no good. The basics of the story are always the same, but here are some details:

One gal found out her husband was cheating when he called her to come bail him out of jail. The charge? Soliciting a prostitute. (What balls to call his wife to come rescue him. We're talking big ones.)

Another husband came home and told his wife he was involved with another woman and wanted a divorce. Come to find out he'd been cheating for months, lying about where he was and what he was spending money (several thousands) on, and opening secret bank accounts. The photos on his phone and his computer records were revealing. (It's important to have a friend who knows how to search his electronic devices should you find yourself in this situation.)

A third husband brought his girlfriend to the business he owns with his wife, and proceeded to flirt outrageously with the other woman. Right there in front of the customers and his wife. Midlife crisis, anyone? (It was the boobs that got him. Definitely the boobs. That is all.)

In each case, we're talking massive male egos and probably delusions of grandeur. In each case, we're talking women with financial and community resources. And in every case, divorce followed, along with divided loyalties among families and friends. The saddest part? My girlfriends were all devastated by his infidelity. They had no idea that their marriages were in danger. More importantly, they had no idea he was sleeping with the other woman while he was still sleeping with them. *shudder*

It's a helpless feeling watching your friends go through something like this and knowing you can do nothing to ease their pain.

Except plot a means of getting even, which is where I come in.

None of the women I know would actually do bodily harm to their spouses. (With one exception. You know who you are. Own it, girl.) So I decided to think about the whole revenge thing on their behalf. What would happen to a guy who cheated, once his wife found out about it?



It's an interesting question, isn't it? Hell hath no fury, etc. And then I wondered, given the massive egos above and the well-off women they cheated on, what would happen if that husband decided he could work two marriages at the same time. Double the sugar mommas. Or even three. (Talk about living dangerously.) That's what sparked the idea for A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES.


A husband who disappears but keeps spending his wife's money, a wife who's desperate to get him out of her life but can't find him, and an ambitious private investigator who hasn't a clue what to do about it all.

Wine, women, and song. What could possibly go wrong?

Only time can ease a broken heart, but maybe some imaginary revenge will help. Click on the cover to buy a copy of A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES and then tell me, did he get what he deserves?


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