Josie Belle's All Sales Final, the fifth book in her Good Buy Girls cozy mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime
James Benn's historical mystery The White Ghost, the 10th book in his Billy Boyle series
Jenna Bennett's Busman's Honeymoon, the Savannah Martin honeymoon novella
Catherine Bruns' Tastes Like Murder, the debut of her Cookies & Chance culinary cozy mystery series from Gemma Halliday Publishing (has a short term special debut price of only 99c for Kindle!)
Andrea Camilleri's A Beam of Light, the 19th book in his Inspector Montalbano series
Carol Carson's Uneasy in New Orleans, the debut of her Big Easy humorous cozy mystery series
Maia Chance's Cinderella Six Feet Under, the second book in her Fairy Tale Fatal cozy mystery series
Erika Chase's Law and Author, the fifth book in her Ashton Corners Book Club cozy mystery series
We are so excited to bring you not only a guest post from Lauren Carr, author of the Mac Faraday and Thorny Rose mysteries, but also an excerpt of Lauren's latest novel, Kill and Run. The first book in the Thorny Rose Detective series, Kill and Run is due out September 4th!
The Thorny Rose Detectives— Imperfect Perfect Couple
Guest Post
By Lauren Carr
Have you ever met the perfect couple? You know the type. The
man is eye candy to the ladies. The woman has a perfect figure and a fabulous
wardrobe.
Not only that, but they actually sync with each other. They are
able to communicate without words. They each know what the other is thinking
and are in complete agreement.
In other words, they never argue.
They complement each other. Where he is weak, she is strong.
I’m talking about the type of couples that make you look at
your own spouse and think, “Cupid had to have been SUI (Shooting Under the
Influence) when he shot those arrows to bring us together.”
The reality is this—there’s no such thing as a perfect
couple. That’s okay.
Imperfect couples have
more fun—especially when they are in the early phases of learning about each
other. Some of my husband’s and my funnest times have been when we were
learning amazing and scary things about each other. After twenty-six years of marriage,
our fondest memories are of those less-than-perfect moments where we would
discover something new, exciting, and Oh-My-Gosh-Are-You-Kidding-Me? about each
other.
One fight that I still love to tell people about today
occurred on our first anniversary.
My mother had rented a beach house on the Outer Banks for us
to vacation at for a week. In October, the weather was still warm enough to lay
out on the beach. Yet, it was off season, so we pretty much had the place to
ourselves.
This was when I discovered that my husband does not like
laying out on the beach doing nothing! Before we left to go on our vacation to
relax, my husband had made a list of everything we were going to do during our
week long getaway. By day four, we had completed everything on his list. Yet,
we still had three days left to our seven day rental—which was all paid for by
my mother!
“Okay, so we completed everything on our list. Now we can
lay on the beach and relax,” I replied when my hubby said he was ready to go
home.
Showing me his list, he said, “We did that on Saturday. Time
to go home.”
Yep, sure enough, he had checked off “Lay on the Beach.”
“Then let’s do it again,” I said.
“You mean lay on the beach all day, every day, for the rest
of our vacation … doing nothing?”
You would have thought I had suggested robbing a bank—naked!
That was when I discovered, one year after we were married,
that my husband will never make a good beach bum. If I want to do nothing on my
vacation, I need to do it alone or take one of my less energetic friends along.
This is the case for Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica
Faraday, my newlywed detectives of the Thorny Rose Mysteries. They are not in
perfect sync with each other. A graduate of the Naval Academy, Murphy is an
officer who prides himself of being in perfect control—especially when it comes
to his diet. He is a pescatarian. He eats fish, but no other meat. He believes
in clean eating, staying away from dairy, refined sugar, and other goodies.
Meanwhile, Jessica enjoys chocolate Pop-Tarts for breakfast.
Married only four months, they are still in the discovery
phase of their relationship, which leads to some lively, even sexy banters in Kill and Run, which you can enjoy in
this excerpt below:
On Pennsylvania Avenue, Jessica Faraday
restrained herself from checking the time on her cell resting next to her
clutch bag on the table top. It was way after seven o’clock and she was alone
at the table for two at the Four Seasons. She had reserved a table next to the
windows that provided an excellent night view of Washington, D.C., in all its
dazzling glory.
She was alone—just her and her purple martini.
Murphy was late.
Suck it up, Buttercup. You married a hunk who is
passionate about doing whatever it takes to make things right. The gold of
her wedding band caught in the glow of the lit candle on the table. She wrapped
her fingers—tipped with elegantly painted fingernails sporting hand-painted
violets—around the stem of her martini glass and took a sip. If it means
being late for your celebratory dinner, so be it. This is only the first of
probably a long line of missed dates.
Her violet eyes lit up at the sight of the handsome man
in his white uniform rounding the corner with the host. When he flashed his
charming grin, complete with dimples in both cheeks, her heart skipped a beat.
Catching her breath, she wet her lips and smoothed her raven hair. Geez,
Jessie, this isn’t your first date.
As they neared the table, Jessica noticed that Murphy was
not alone. While he had his hat tucked under one arm, his right hand clasped
that of a slender girl with a head full of ash blonde curls and the saddest red
eyes one could imagine. Her tiny frame and face made her light brown eyes
appear that much bigger.
As they grew closer, the maître d’, a short, jolly man by
the name of Francesco, was telling Murphy in a thick Italian accent that they
would move them to a bigger table.
“Thank you very much.” Murphy slipped some money to the
host. He flashed an apologetic grin in Jessica’s direction. “I’m sorry we’re so
much trouble.”
“No trouble at all, sir.” Francesco flashed a smile at
the sad young girl. He then directed them to a table for four in the middle of
the restaurant, away from the windows that Jessica had requested. “Suitable for
you, Mr. Murphy?”
Placing his hand on Jessica’s shoulder, Murphy kissed her
quickly on the ear before whispering, “I’ll explain.”
Seeing the girl’s tear stained face, Jessica cut him off.
“No need.” Grabbing her purse, cell phone and martini, she told the host, “That
table is excellent. Thank you so much, Francesco.” She saw Murphy sigh with
relief.
“Anything for you, Miss Jessica.” With a grin, Francesco
dropped the linen napkin into Jessica’s lap.
“This is Izzy Crenshaw,” Murphy introduced the girl while
holding her chair for her. “Izzy, this is my wife, Jessica.”
Wordlessly, Izzy looked Jessica up and down. In her
colorful soft dress, long bare legs, and high-heeled shoes, Jessica was a
complete contrast from the girl clad in jeans and a faded Hard Rock Café t-shirt.
“Izzy is in my protective custody.” Murphy took a seat
between them.
“You’re protecting her from what?” Jessica asked while
Francesco offered her the wine menu. The maître d’ had learned from their many
dinners at the restaurant that Jessica would order the wine for herself, while
Murphy drank only water with lemon.
“Right now, the system,” Murphy said. “You should have
seen the place they put her. She has no family—”
“You have no family?” Jessica asked the girl.
“That is so very sad,” Making a “task-tsk” noise with his
tongue, Francesco shook his head.
Signaled by the snap of Francesco’s fingers, the server
hurried over with three menus for them.
“Mom used to have a sister,” Izzy said to Murphy. “She
died before I was born. Mom told me that I was just as head-strong as she was.”
Her voice trailed off.
Jessica and Murphy exchanged heartfelt glances.
“I’ll have water and a plate of lemon wedges,” Murphy
requested from the server before asking Izzy in an upbeat tone, “What would you
like, Izzy? You can get anything you want.”
Seeing the girl’s sad expression, the server said, “Even
if it’s not on the menu. Our chef is world famous. He can cook you anything.
You name it.”
Izzy stared at the menu without opening it. “I’m not
hungry.”
“Have you had dinner yet?” Spotting a dessert cart being
wheeled passed the table, Jessica asked the server, “Do you have your delicious
chocolate lava cake and a scoop of ice cream?” The server rushed to the kitchen
to check on the item.
“It’s okay, honey,” Murphy told Izzy, “I wasn’t hungry
for the longest time when my mother passed away. When you’re ready to eat, then
you’ll eat.”
“She has to keep her strength up,” Jessica said. “We
can’t take her home and put her to bed without dinner.”
“She’s in mourning,” Murphy reminded her.
“Which is why we need to feed her,” Jessica said.
“Chocolate makes everything better. It won’t solve the problem or take away the
hurt, but it does soften the sting of the pain.”
“Bull,” he replied. “That’s nothing more than an old
wive’s rationalization for endorsing gluttony. Grief is no excuse to pack
yourself full of processed dairy products and refined sugar.”
“One little lava cake for one dinner isn’t going to kill
her,” Jessica said.
They both observed Izzy staring at her plate seemingly
without seeing it. She didn’t appear to have any interest in the outcome of
their discussion.
“What happens when she crashes?” Murphy asked Jessica.
“She downs a tube of chocolate chip cookie dough and begins the cycle over
again. Before she’ll know it, she’ll be a depressed obese diabetic with heart
disease.”
“It’s cake,” Jessica said, “not heroin.”
The server arrived to announce that the chef would be
glad to prepare the lava cake with a scoop of ice cream. “Would you like me to
put in the order for the young lady?”
In unison, Jessica said “yes” while Murphy said a
resolute “no.” A glare from Jessica prompted Murphy to back down. With a roll
of his eyes and a shrug of his shoulders, he gave in and the server hurried off
to put in the order for the lava cake.
For the first time since Murphy had met her, a hint of a
smile crossed Izzy’s face. With the tilt of his head, he caught Jessica’s
attention to point out the small breakthrough in the young girl.
At the sight of the young girl’s sadness easing slightly,
Murphy was reminded of the surprise that Jessica had promised. Reaching across
the table to caress her fingers with his, his eyes met hers. A soft, reassuring
smile came to her lips.
Unable to wait any longer to learn her surprise, Murphy
excused them both for a moment, took Jessica by the hand, and led her to the
lounge. Making sure he kept Izzy, his responsibility, in his line of sight, he
pulled Jessica close and kissed her long and hard on the mouth.
When she came up for air, Jessica breathed, “What was
that for?”
“For being understanding about Izzy.” He gazed into her
face. “You reminded me of what made me fall in love with you so fast.”
“I thought it was my body that made you fall hard for
me.” She winked up at him.
Mystery—The Next Generation
Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally
murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions
surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together
only to be killed.
Taking on his first official
murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover
the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an
unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection
to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a
dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been
run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.
In Kill and Run, best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr delights her
fans by merging the son and daughter of the detectives from her two popular
series for a new series—the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Fans were introduced to Murphy
Thornton, the son of Joshua Thornton from Lovers in Crime Mysteries, and
Jessica Faraday, the daughter of Mac Faraday from the Mac Faraday Mysteries, in
the widely-acclaimed and best-selling Three
Days to Forever, which was released in January 2015.
The match-up surprised even
the author. “I thought long and hard about bringing Murphy and Jessica
together,” Lauren confesses. “I had developed each of the characters
separately. Murphy appeared in my very first book, A Small Case of Murder. At that time, he was only sixteen and his
mother had recently passed away. Jessica appeared briefly in Old Loves Die Hard and I had no thought
while writing that book of pairing her up with Murphy. I was as surprised as
anyone when their characters ended up being a perfect match in Three Days to Forever.”
A perfect match they are!
Lauren Carr’s newest series is hot and sexy, like her newest detectives. Lauren
warns, “Some readers may be surprised to see that I push the envelope just a
little bit more in The Thorny Rose Mysteries than I do in my other series. Due
to the combination of my detectives’ youth and the environment (the Nation’s
Capital), it was virtually impossible to keep things completely pure.” Some
readers may notice a few more curse words (no F-bombs allowed!) and sexual
references, which Lauren will confine only to the Thorny Rose Mysteries. “What
can I say?” Lauren says with a sigh. “Washington, DC, is not Spencer or
Chester.”
In this first installment
of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton
and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can
the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a
cunning killer?
About the Author
An Amazon All-Star author, Lauren
Carr is the creator of three popular mystery series: the Mac Faraday Mysteries,
The Lovers in Crime Mysteries, and now the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Kill and Runis the first installment of
The Thorny Rose Mysteries. Each of Lauren Carr’s mysteries have made Amazon’s
best-seller ranking internationally.
In addition to her series
set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime
Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective
Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades
of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an
appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.
The owner of Acorn Book
Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and
layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year,
several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be
released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently
accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.
Lauren is a popular speaker
who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at
conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing
and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education
classes.
She lives with her husband,
son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Visit
Lauren Carr’s website at www.mysterylady.net to learn more about Lauren and her
upcoming mysteries.
Author J. Frank James is joining us today to share a guest post on the benefits of self-publishing as well as an excerpt from his new book, Dead Money Run, the first book in the Lou Malloy Crime Series. He is also offering a free Kindle copy of Dead Money Run to one lucky reader who loves a good hard-boiled thriller. Check out the giveaway details at the end of this post to find out how to enter. UPDATE: Congratulations to Barbara Hawk for winning the free copy of Dead Money Run!
Why Self-Publish?
by J. Frank James
This is a question that has no simple answer. After publishing my tenth book, the answer that best fits my situation is simply it lets me control my future as a writer. By that I mean, I am the master of my own fate. I am not sure everyone would agree with me and there are a lot of environments that do not accept a self-published manuscript from a promotion standpoint, but trust me, it is the future.
If writer is looking for instant cash, it is going to happen regardless of what you are going to do in the way of publishing. However, if you want to get the real experience of writing and see it in print, then by all means self-publish.
Is self-publishing for everyone? No. The publishing houses still have the edge in promoting a book, but that is not going to last long. Amazon is the five hundred pound gorilla and they will only get larger. Eventually, they will larger than all the other publishing vehicles combined. That said, you might as well get on board.
So what is the future of self-publishing? Quite simply, the sky is the limit. Today, you can produce your own cover, produce the written copy, market you product as writer and generally go direct to your reader. As a preparation, there are several things that I would recommend. One, get a good website for yourself. There are a lot of web providers who will provide formats to get this accomplished. One that I would recommend is a company called Powweb, www.powweb.com. Powweb has a product called Weebly. There you will have access to templates that will allow you to build your site and control the content without a whole lot of trouble. If I can do it, anyone can. Next, there is the marketing. Make sure you put your book on Amazon’s Kindle Select program as well as their Createspace unit. Kindle Select is Amazon’s ebook format and Creatspace is the paperback product. The good thing about these services is that they allow you to self-market your book as well as track sales and so forth. It is a no brainer.
After you have muscled your way through this process, we yourself a good proofreader. Make sure they have experience in the genre in which you write your book. A proofreader who proofs technical journals is not someone you want to proofread fiction. Trust me. I have been there and done that. Next get a publicist. Now here this election can get tricky. Don’t over pay for the service, but don’t get taken to the cleaners either. Expect to pay on average around $1,000 per month. Some will want more during the first three months of the exercise. They do this because to properly promote a book from the initial stage there are is a lot of upfront effort necessary to get things off the ground.
Well, you are now ready to put your first book out there for the world to see. What’s next? Why the next book, of course.
The warden was a small man, but dressed neatly. Everything about him was neat-from his hair to his shoes. He was almost too neat.
“So what are your plans, Lou?”
When I walked into the room, the warden turned over a little hour-glass full of sand. We both watched it for a few seconds and then looked at each other. This was the first time I ever met the man. What did he care about me now? Since he never cared before, I figured the man was just looking for information. Perhaps he wanted to give me a warning. I didn’t say anything.
“Do you ever think about time, Lou?”
“After fifteen years, what do you think?” I said.
He smiled and said, “Most valuable thing we have and no one seems to mourn its passing until it’s too late.”
I had nothing to say to that. Conversations with a prison warden came with a lot of maybes. While in prison I trained myself to watch a man’s hands. If he rubbed his hands in a washing motion, he was lying. If he messed with his fingernails, he wasn’t interested in the conversation. The warden was rubbing his hands as if he had touched something distasteful.
“I haven’t given it a lot of thought, Warden Edwards.”
“Call me John, Lou. We’re friends now,” Edwards said while rubbing his hands in a determined kind of way.
So now we were friends. I wanted to tell him he was a liar, but my better judgment stopped me. Probably a good way to delay my release-things get lost, papers go unsigned. Things happen.
“Okay, John,” I said.
“You know, we never found the fifteen million,” he said.
“I didn’t know you were looking for it.”
I watched his eyes flicker briefly. I seemed to hit a sweet spot.
“No, Lou. You misunderstand,” he said as he caught himself. “There is a reward for the recovery of the money. Did you know that?”
Edwards said it more as a statement than a question. I said nothing and waited. Edwards shifted in his chair and started to rub his hands again.
“It would be in your best interest to tell them what you know.”
“Who’s the ‘them’ John?” I asked.
“They’re the people looking for the money.”
I thought about that for a few moments. The statement covered a lot of ground.
“Since I didn’t take the money in the first place, I don’t have anything to tell them. They need to ask the people that took it,” I said.
Edwards was smiling now and he stopped rubbing his hands.
“There are some people that think you do.”
“I can’t help what people think.”
“Ten percent,” he said.
“Ten percent of what,” I said.
“The money, Lou. Ten percent of fifteen million is a lot of money.”
“I hadn’t heard about that,” I said.
“Yeah, it seems the Indian casino had insurance. The insurance company that paid off on the claim put up a ten percent reward for the return of the money. A million five is a lot of money.”
“I hope they find it,” I said.
Edwards blinked his eyes signaling he was moving on to something else.
“Sorry to hear about your sister,” he said. “I understand they are doing all they can to find her killer.”
Edwards was a real card and running out of things to say. On any other day, in any other place, he would be dead or wishing he was.
“Thanks, John. Your words are real comforting,” I said and returned my gaze to the little hourglass and the sand as it accumulated on the bottom.
I had nothing else to say except make him happy. Make them all happy. Just one big happy group sitting around smiling at each other; happy, happy, now let’s just get the money and spread it all around and we can go on being happy. In the meantime my sister lies in a hole feeding worms. I had money on the worms being real happy. No word on how my sister felt.
Edwards looked disappointed when I didn’t add to our conversation.
“Lou, it might be a good idea for you to help them find the money. It could be a big windfall.”
Now we were getting somewhere. Just like all the rest of the treasure hunters, the miserable bastard was just in it for the money.
“Windfall for who, John? Me or you?”
As if tasting a lemon, Edwards twisted his face and, at the same time, waived his hands at an imaginary fly.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Lou. I’m just trying to give you a head start. If it was my decision, you would still be with us. Fifteen million dollars is a lot of money to lose.”
“It still is,” I said.
I sat and watched Edwards shift in his chair some more. We had nothing left to talk about. I could feel him working out in his mind how he was going to present his failure to get a lead out of me on the money.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Edwards said.
Finally, I had enough.
“Leave. Isn’t that what we all do?”
His smile vanished. He knew he was wasting his time on someone who had maxed out. He also knew he couldn’t hold me. There would be no parole violation with the threat to re-incarcerate me. No work release effort to rehabilitate me. Just a new suit made in the prison cut and sew area and a hundred bucks was the sum total of it. That probably hadn’t changed since the 30s. I wondered if Al Capone wore the suit they gave him when he got out.
We were both looking at the little hourglass of sand now. The sand had drained from the top of the glass to the bottom. Suddenly, as if being shot out of a cannon, we both stood up. Edwards stuck out his hand. I turned and left the room. I didn’t shake his hand. I didn’t want to touch him.
About the Lou Malloy Series
Lou Malloy learns of his sister's death right before he is released from prison, having served 15 years for the theft of $15 million from an Indian casino. He wants two things: to keep the $15 million, which no one has been able to find, and to track down and punish whoever killed his sister.
Lou Malloy teams up with Hilary Kelly, a private investigator. In no time, Lou has found the hidden $15 million, recovered guns and ammunition hidden with the money, and murdered two low-level mobsters and fed them to the crocodiles.
As the body count rises, the story grows more complex and his sister's death becomes more mysterious.
"Dead Money Run is a hard-boiled thriller. It is a book of short chapters and almost unrelenting excitement as Lou and Hillary Kelly avoid cops, kill mobsters, and try to unravel the mystery of who killed Lou's sister and why.” - Reviewed by Wally Wood at BookPleasures.com
“Fans of James Ellroy and Elmore Leonard are going to love James’ ingenious capers, devious characters and wry humor. The entire book goes down like a strong yet smooth shot of bourbon.” - Reviewed by BestThrillers.com
"DeadMoney Run by J. Frank James is a pure adrenalin rush from the very beginning. Yes, it is very violent with some strong language, but filled with excitement that keeps the reader wanting to know what comes next." - Reviewed by Paul Johnson for Readers' Favorite
“J. Frank James did a very nice job constructing a fast moving plot for Dead Money Run. It is intriguing and thrilling. However, the reader should be prepared for a bit of gruesome violence. Yet, the violence doesn’t override the mystery and suspense within the story. Hold on to whatever it is that you’re sitting on as you read this story, because James is about to take you on a wild ride.” – Reviewed by Red City Review
About the Author:
J. Frank James has a passion for writing, and he certainly has the knowledge and experience to write realistic crime thrillers, thanks to his extensive background in law. Jim attended law school, where he was a member of the law review. He even went on to pass the state bar and started his own law practice that specialized in complex litigation. Jim's experience in law helps lend credibility to his crime fiction books. He has also traveled extensively and gains inspiration for his crime thrillers from his travels. From observing other cultures and gaining new experiences, Jim is able to infuse new life into his books and develop believable characters that readers can identify with.
J. Frank James writes crime thriller novels that are gripping and suspenseful. He is the author of the Lou Malloy Crime Series and the Indigo Marsh Detective Series.
J. Frank James is also an artist and he creates all of his own book covers.
Please comment below to enter the giveaway! Share this post on social media for a second entry; just comment and let us know you did so. Please Note: If you are commenting anonymously, please leave your full Facebook name or email address so that we may contact you if you are the winner. Winners will be chosen via random number generator at noon EST on Tuesday, July 21st. The contest is now closed! Thanks for entering!
Joe Cosentino kindly joins us today with a Q&A and excerpt from his recently released mystery/comedy/romance, Drama Queen, featuring sleuths Nicky and Noah. In addition to being an author, Joe is a talented actor and theater professor. Drama Queen takes advantage of his experience and gives us a funny and entertaining peek into the theater world. Thanks for stopping in, Joe!!
Hello, Joe. Thank you for interviewing
with us today.
My
pleasure.
When did you start
writing?
I’ve
always been a storyteller. As a kid I was the star of the plays in my friend’s
garage. We forced our poor, unsuspecting parents to watch every one—including
the lavish musicals! After college I became a professional actor, working in
film, television, and theatre opposite stars like Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane,
Bruce Willis, Charles Keating, Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. Moving on to
playwriting and ultimately writing novels seemed like an obvious next step.
How was it acting with all
those celebrities?
In
each case, I worked with them before they became famous, and in each case they
were gracious, hard-working, kind, and very funny. I did an AT&T Industrial
with Rose O’Donnell, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream onstage with Bruce Willis, Roar
of the Greasepaint onstage with Nathan Lane, a Commercial Credit Computer
commercial with Jason Robards, NBC’s Another
World with Charles Keating, and ABC’s My
Mother Was Never a Kid with Holland Taylor.
Is Drama Queen your first
novel?
I
wrote a mystery/romance series about an ex-child star, the Jana Lane mysteries.
Paper Doll is out now. Porcelain Doll and Satin Doll should follow soon. I also wrote the well-received An Infatuation, an MM romance novella
published by Dreamspinner Press.
How did Lethe Press come
to publish Drama Queen?
I
noticed Lethe Press publishes many humorous, theatrically-styled gay books, and
the company has been successful for fourteen years. After I submitted the
manuscript, Steve Berman offered to publish it, saying he had great fun reading
it. I think like all my writing, DramaQueen has amazing crossover appeal and will be enjoyed by gay and straight
people alike. A good story is a good story. Funny is funny. A great mystery is
a great mystery.
How many books have your
written so far in this series?
Three:
Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, and Drama
Cruise. In Drama Queen, Nicky and
Noah have to uncover why college theatre professors are dropping like stage
curtains while Nicky directs the college play production—a murder mystery. In Drama Muscle, Nicky and Noah have to
find out why musclemen are dropping like weights in the Physical Education
department while Nicky directs the Student Bodybuilding Competition. In Drama Cruise, Nicky and Noah go on a
cruise to Alaska, and discover why college theatre professors are going
overboard like lifeboats while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre
show onboard ship. In the fourth novel (not written yet), Drama Luau, Nicky and Noah will go to Hawaii to direct a luau show,
where muscular hula dancers are dropping like grass skirts.
Why did you write a
mystery/comedy/romance series?
Can’t
we all use a good laugh, a challenging brain twister, and a bit of romance? Drama Queen is the kind of book I like
reading. It is funny, theatrical, sexy, wild, and wacky with a solid mystery
full of plot twists and turns at its center.
How do you think up all
the clues, red herrings, and surprises in the novel?
I’ve
read every Agatha Christie novel and play many times. She is a genius at
outlining when and where to give the reader what information. I love the
inversion in her books, where she uses sleight of hand to lay out all the
information, but not in a straight forward manner. The reader becomes the
sleuth to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I tried to do the same in
this series.
Since you are a college
theatre professor, is the series based on you, your colleagues, and students?
Do
you mean if anybody at my college ticks me off, I kill him/her in the series?
Hah. To be honest, I like my colleagues and students too much to murder them in
my books. Martin Anderson, Nicky and Noah’s department head, is based on me.
He’s a loyal, hardworking department head and professor who fully supports his
faculty colleagues, office assistant, and the students in his department. Like
me, he is also a little bit, well quite a bit, of a gossip. My knowledge of
theatre is also very evident in the series. The other characters and the
location came from my head.
Who was your favorite
character to write in Drama Queen?
Nicky
has such amazing wit, perseverance in the face of adversity, and smarts. I love
his sense of determination in not only nabbing the murderer, but also getting
his man—Noah. Nicky knows that he wants and how to get it. He is genuinely
concerned for others, and he wants to help them. He also has no problem taking
on the role of hero. Finally, he is a one-man man, and Nicky is proud to admit
that man is Noah Oliver.
Which character was the
hardest to write?
Loptu
Lee, the Playwriting professor is a scream. She has two different
personalities, either of which come out at the most inopportune times and
places.
What are the rules for writing
a good mystery?
Here
are my rules. Give the clues early. There’s nothing worse than reading a
mystery and not getting any clues until the end. That’s cheating. Camouflage
your clues and put in a number of red herrings. A mystery should have more than
mystery. Like any novel, it should have interesting characters, a strong plot
with lots of twists and turns, and a satisfying ending. In my case, it also
needs a heavy dose of wacky humor.
Is Drama Queen available as an ebook and paperbook?
Yes,
this gives the reader an option to read it on a Kindle, Nook, computer, or with
book in hand on the beach or in bed. The audiobook should be out in about a
month.
Do you see this as a TV
series?
Yes!
And I want to play Martin Anderson. Couldn’t you see Matt Bomer as Nicky and
Neil Patrick Harris as Noah? This will give The
Hardy Boys a run for their money.
How can your readers get
their hands on Drama Queen, and how
can they contact you?
The
purchase links for Drama Queenare
below, as are my contact links, including my web site. I love to hear from
readers!!!
It could be
curtains for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodies
popping up all over campus, Nicky must use his drama skills to figure out who
is playing the role of murderer before it is lights out for Nicky and his
colleagues. Complicating matters is Nicky’s huge crush on Noah Oliver, a
gorgeous assistant professor in his department, who may or may not be involved
with a cocky graduate assistant...and is also the top suspect for the murders!
You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced,
side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat, delightfully entertaining novel.
Curtain up!
With the student actors and technicians sitting in the front
of the theatre (obliviously texting on their phones), my student stage manager,
SuCho, screamed for everyone’s attention, and for me to come to the front of
the theatre house to give them my notes. This thankfully sent David off to his
office in a huff.
After I had given my first few notes, I noticed Noah Oliver
standing in the back of the theatre. Noah is tall and lean with curly blond
hair, blue eyes, and the sweetest smile I have ever wanted to kiss in an
Assistant Professor. While I teach Theatre History and Play Directing, Noah is
our department’s specialist in Acting, and for good reason. Noah is a terrific
actor, a creative and passionate teacher, and a wonderful colleague. More
importantly, I have had a crush on him since the moment he made his entrance
into our humble campus three years ago. Noah is single, gay, and seems to really
like me. Why don’t I ask him out? Noah is twenty-eight years young. As a junior
professor in my department in need of my vote for tenure this year, if I make a
pass at him it could be considered attempted coercion on my part.
It was difficult for me to concentrate on giving my notes to
the students since Scotty Bruno, my graduate assistant and Assistant Director
of the play, was talking, laughing, and obviously flirting with Noah in the
rear of the theatre. I had reason to be concerned. Scotty has bleached blond
hair, contact lens turquoise eyes, ultra-white bonded teeth, and muscles as if
sculpted by Michelangelo, housed in multi-colored, stuffed shorts and tank top
(in winter) that were not unnoticed by Noah. Unless I was becoming nearsighted,
I could have sworn that Scotty whispered something into Noah’s ear then handed
Noah a box. What the heck is in it? Love letters? Condoms? My heart on a
silver platter?
“Any notes for me, professor?” Paul Amour, my leading man,
sat front row center and winked at me. Identifying as bisexual, Paul uses his charms
with men and women alike to get their attention. Tall with shiny, wavy
black hair climbing down his neck, chiseled features, and a body like a Greek
god, getting attention wasn’t too difficult for Paul.
“You were like terrific tonight, Paul. I really believed you
were like the murderer!” Ricky Gonzalez, Paul’s co-star and last onstage murder
victim, sat next to Paul like an art dealer admiring the Mona Lisa. Ricky is
shorter and darker than Paul with a smaller but equally cut physique. After he
graduates from college and gets over his crush on Paul, Ricky will no doubt
make some guy a wonderful husband.
“Thanks, Ricky.” Paul squeezed one of Ricky’s abdominal
muscles.
Ricky beamed like a floodlight.
Kayla Calloway and Jan Annondale, who play murder victims one
and two in the play, sat on the other side of Paul to reward their peripheral
visions. Zaftig, giggly, and insecure, they hung on Paul’s every word, wishing
they could hang on Paul.
“Your fight scenes were totally awesome tonight, Paul,” said
Kayla.
Jan added, “And you really like aced your cool monologue at
the end of the play.”
Before Paul could sign autographs, I said, “I have five more
pages of notes tonight, people. Can I have everyone’s attention?”
About the Author
Joe Cosentino
is the author of Drama Queen the
first Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), An Infatuation (Dreamspinner
Press), Paper Doll the first Jana
Lane mystery (Whiskey Creek Press), and The
Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has
appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite
stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and
Jason Robards. His one-act plays, Infatuation and Neighbor, were
performed in New York City. He wrote The Perils of Pauline educational
film (Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe is currently Head of the
Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married.
His upcoming novels are Drama Muscle the second Nicky and Noah mystery
(Lethe Press), A Shooting Star
(Dreamspinner Press novella), A Home for
the Holidays (Dreamspinner Press holiday novella), and Porcelain Doll the second Jana Lane mystery.
