The Last Tuesday Book Roundup

As you know, I’ve been trying to come up with ideas for regular features on this blog. We’ve got the First Tuesday Recipes, We Are the World Blogfest on the last Friday of each month, a monthly author feature (interview and/or guest blog post), and a post that I write based on whatever I’m feeling like writing (last month it was the special “holidays” in July, two months ago it was my summer reading wish list). I also like to do a book recommendation whenever I find a book I’ve really enjoyed. We tried a monthly book club, but we didn’t have a ton of participation.

So I’m trying something different for the last Tuesday of each month and it takes almost no effort to participate: all you do is tell us in the comments about whatever book you happen to be reading.

See how easy that is?

You can simply tell us the title and author, or you can go a little further and tell us a little bit about the book. My hope is that we all are exposed to books other than the ones we’re reading–maybe books in a genre we don’t usually read, maybe books we haven’t heard about but think we might enjoy.

I’ll start. I’m reading two books at the moment: Secrets in Storyville by Patricia Gligor and Death on Heels by Ellen Byerrum. Since Secrets in Storyville was the subject of a blog post earlier this month, I’ll focus on Death on Heels.

Death on Heels is about Lacey Smithsonian, a fashion reporter from Washington, DC. Her old boyfriend and cattle rancher, Cole Tucker, has been arrested for the murders of three women in her hometown of Sagebrush, Colorado. This doesn’t sound like the Cole she used to love, so she heads out west to help clear his name.

So far, I’m enjoying the book. There are some short “Fashion Bites” every few chapters, and I have to say I could do without them. But on the whole, it’s been a good read.

What are you reading?

Until next time,

Amy

Welcome Back, Patricia Gligor!

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Patricia Gligor back to Reade and Write. Pat is the author of the Malone Mystery series, and if you’ve read any of those books you already know Pat can weave a compelling tale. She’s here today to tell us about her new release, Secrets in Storyville. Here’s a quick synopsis:

Kate Morgan, a single mother, lives in the small town of Storyville, Ohio, where she grew up. A want-to-be author, she works as a sales clerk in the town’s only department store doing what she describes as “a job a monkey could do.” Although she’s bored with her job, she’s reluctant to consider making any major changes in her life. However, she’s about to find out that change is inevitable.

When Kate’s ten-year-old daughter, Mandy, tells the family she plans to do a family tree for a school project, the negative reaction of Kate’s parents and grandmother shocks her but also arouses her curiosity. Why are they so against Mandy’s project? Surely her family is too “normal” to have any skeletons in their closet.

Kate decides to support her daughter even if that means defying her parents. As she searches for the truth, she discovers some long buried secrets that, if she decides to reveal them, will change her life and the lives of the people she loves – forever.

 

Pat wrote a quick post for Reade and Write–I think you’ll like it:

“We all know that laughter is cathartic. No matter what’s going on in our lives and in the world, a good laugh or even a chuckle has the power to make us forget about whatever challenges we’re facing if only for a short time. The more we laugh, the better we feel.

Kate, the main character in Secrets in Storyville, has what she calls “a healthy sense of humor.” I have to agree with her because I found myself laughing out loud as I wrote many of the scenes in the book. I hope, as you escape into Kate’s world, you will too.”

And here’s an excerpt from the book:

I pushed the button on my radio for our local oldies station. As I drove back to work, I cranked up the music and sang along to the strains of Frosty the Snowman.

The song reminded me of the “anatomically correct” snowman Bobby had built in our front yard when we were in our early teens. As long as I lived I would never forget the expression on my mother’s face – a combination of shock and rage – when she pulled into the driveway that day and saw the snowman.

She slammed her car door, stomped over to us, grabbed one of the two carrots Bobby had used – it wasn’t the one for his nose – and tried to pull it out. That carrot must’ve really been stuck because she yanked and yanked before it came out in her hand.

 Bobby and I exchanged glances, trying so hard not to laugh out loud because we knew better than to do that. Somehow we managed to control ourselves until my mother had stormed into the house. Then we both lost it. Thinking about it now as I drove back to work, I couldn’t stop laughing. 

And here’s Pat’s bio:

Patricia Gligor is a Cincinnati native. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department but her passion has always been writing fiction.

Ms. Gligor is the author of the Malone Mystery series: Mixed Messages, Unfinished Business, Desperate Deeds, Mistaken Identity and Marnie Malone.

Secrets in Storyville, a small town mystery, is separate from her series.

Her books are available at:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007VDDUPQ

  

 

I have Secrets in Storyville on my Kindle and I’m eager to start it. Best wishes, Pat! The book sounds great.

Until next time,

Amy

Author Spotlight: Patricia Gligor, Part II

Today on Reade and Write I’m thrilled to welcome Patricia Gligor back for another interview! She’s here to discuss her brand-new, just-out-today book, Marnie Malone. Happy Book Birthday, Pat!

Tell us about Marnie Malone.

Marnie Malone is my fifth Malone mystery. I think the best way to tell you about it is through the blurb:

Someone is stalking Marnie.

It’s Marnie’s last week at the law firm of Cliburn & Reeves and she feels like she’s riding an emotional roller coaster. Up when she wins the divorce and custody battle for Callie Jackson against her abusive husband, Jed. And plummeting down when one witness after another decides not to testify against Mark Hall, an attorney at another Charleston firm and an “alleged” serial rapist.

Marnie receives one threat after another and she constantly feels the need to look over her shoulder, convinced that someone is stalking her. With Sam out of town on business, she’s alone in the big, old farmhouse and strange things are happening. Noises in the attic, creaking floorboards and someone watching her from the woods.

As she tries to determine the identity of the stalker, the list of men who have grudges against her grows longer each day. In her line of work she’s made enemies. Is the stalker someone from the past or one of the men on her list? And, how far will he go?

It sounds exciting! How long did it take you to write?

I started writing Marnie Malone in the early summer of 2015, after the release of Mistaken Identity. I was making progress when, unexpectedly, my mother sold her house and I had to move both of us into apartments. So, from October until the beginning of January 2016, I put the book on hold; there was simply no time to write. I finished writing and proof-reading the manuscript and I sent it to my publisher this past August.

Do you write linearly, or do you write each scene separately and then piece them together like a puzzle? Or is there some other path you take to writing a novel?

For each of my Malone mysteries, I started with a stack of notes, ideas for the book. Then I compiled them and created a chapter-by-chapter outline, listing what absolutely had to happen in each chapter. I guess you could say I wrote the book in my head first – to a degree. As I wrote, the outline was updated as necessary because, as in life, things didn’t always work out the way I’d originally planned. Often, my characters had other ideas.

This is my favorite question: Tell us a secret about one of your characters- something that’s not in the book.

I wracked my brain trying to answer this question and then I had to smile. Because I realized that any secrets my characters had were revealed by the end of Marnie Malone. A fitting and necessary conclusion (at least for now) to a series I’ve loved writing.

What time of day do you do your best writing?

I’m a morning person so I do my best writing then. As the day progresses and other responsibilities pop up, my creativity lessens. By evening, I’m lucky to write a cohesive sentence. Or my name. LOL

Can you tell us what you’re working on now?

I’m currently working on something different. A mystery/suspense standalone told in the first person. I hesitate at this point to call it a Romantic Suspense novel but there will be a strong romantic element, which has a huge impact on the plot.

Tell us about the dedication in Marnie Malone, if you wish.

I’m dedicating Marnie Malone to my brother, Steve, and my two beautiful nieces, Amber and Kelly. Family and friends mean everything to me!

Do you prefer to read a physical book (with paper pages that really turn), or do you prefer an E-reader, or perhaps audio books?

I definitely prefer a physical (paper) book. However, I read a lot of books on my Kindle, only because I’m on a limited budget and I can get so many more books for my money.

Remind us where we can connect with you.

You can connect with me (and I hope you will) at:

My blog: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.gligor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatriciaGligor

Where is the new book available?

Marnie Malone can be ordered through your local book store and is available online at:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/gnvn4kq

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Patricia+Gligor/_/N-8qa?_requestid=305533

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=Patricia%20Gligor&ac.morein=true&ac.title=Patricia%20Gligor

   

Thank you for inviting me to be your guest, Amy. I had a lot of fun responding to your questions.

Pat, it’s always a pleasure to talk to you and I look forward to having you here again! Best wishes and congratulations on Marnie Malone!

Until next week,

Amy

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Patricia Gligor

Today on Reade and Write I welcome Patricia Gligor, author of the Malone Mystery series. She’s here to talk in particular about her newest book, Mistaken Identity. Glad you could be here, Pat!

Tell me about your new book.

In Mistaken Identity, the fourth book in my Malone mystery series, my main character, Ann, and her two young children leave Cincinnati to vacation on Fripp Island in South Carolina with Ann’s sister, Marnie. While going for an early morning walk on the beach the day after the Fourth of July fireworks, Ann finds the body of a young woman in the sand.

Who is the audience for the book?

A tough question. Although my main character is female, both men and women play important parts in the series and my characters encompass all ages from children to senior citizens. However, if I have to pick a specific audience, I would say “women from nineteen to ninety.”

Tell me about the setting of your book- how did you choose it, what kind of research did you have to do, why did you choose it?

In order to write about a place, I need to have a “feel” for it and I’ve visited (and loved) Fripp Island and Beaufort, South Carolina, the settings for the book. As I always do when I travel, I took lots of photos while I was there, and picked up pamphlets and maps to bring home with me. (I never know what places will one day end up in one of my books.) Of course, in addition to first-hand experience, I do some of my research online.

What was the hardest thing about writing the book?

I think the hardest part, the toughest decision for me in writing the book, was how much actual southern dialect to include because I wanted my readers to “hear” the characters speak.

Tell me about your other books. 

As I mentioned, Mistaken Identity is the fourth in the series. The first three are Mixed Messages, Unfinished Business, and Desperate Deeds. All three take place in Cincinnati, my (and Ann’s) hometown.

Are you in one or more critique groups or partnerships?

I am. I belong to the Queen City Writers Critique group and I wouldn’t trade the other members for the world.

Do you write every day?

Normally, yes. I usually write between two and four hours every morning. Sometimes though, “life” gets in the way and family obligations have to be the priority.

When you read a book, what authors do you like best? What genres do you like best?

I love mystery novels, from cozies to suspense. Mary Higgins Clark and Joy Fielding are two of my favorite authors and there are so many small press authors whose books I enjoy that the list is too long to post here.

Where would you like to go more than anywhere else on earth?

Just about any tropical Spanish speaking country with gorgeous beaches. Two of my favorite vacations were to Mexico and Puerto Rico.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Develop a social media presence BEFORE you submit your manuscript to an agent or a publisher. Set up a blog and/or website, join several social media groups including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Post on your blog and on the sites regularly and participate in the discussions. In other words, get your name out there FIRST because agents and publishers are sure to Google your name. If they come up with a blank, even the greatest novel of the century will most likely be rejected because they won’t even bother to read it.

That’s always the advice I give people, too, because it’s the best advice I ever received.

What is your favorite movie and why?

If I absolutely have to pick just one, I’d have to say Delores Claiborne starring Kathy Bates.

Describe yourself in three words. 

Gorgeous, sexy and brilliant. (LOL) I’m sorry, Amy, I couldn’t resist. I know I’m honest, loyal and determined but that sounds so boring – more like a cocker spaniel than a person.

Great answer!!

Is there anything I haven’t asked that you wanted me to?

Yes. I’d like to mention my WIP. I’m currently (slowly but surely) working on the fifth Malone mystery. If all goes as planned, Marnie Malone will be published before the end of the year.

Where can readers connect with you?

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/patricia.gligor 

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/patriciagligor 

My blog – http://pat–writersforum.blogspot.com/ 

Where can readers find your books?

My books can be ordered from any bookstore and they’re available at several online sites in paper and eBook versions. The link to my amazon author’s page is:

http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4

    

Thanks for being here today, Pat!

Until next week,

Amy