Interview: Moving Violation by Melanie Jackson @melaniejaxn

Melanie has been writing her entire life. In fact, one of her earliest fond memories is receiving an IBM Selectric typewriter for her birthday. After publishing romance novels (Scottish historical and paranormal) for New York based publisher Dorchester Publishing from 1999 to 2010, Melanie chose to begin self-publishing cozy mysteries. Since then she has released the Chloe Boston, Butterscotch Jones, Miss Henry, Wendover House, Kenneth Mayhew and Jane Blackthorn Mystery series.

Melanie Jackson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred novels and novellas published in various languages. She lives with her writer husband and her bossy cat in the Sonoma wine country. Besides gardening, she is involved with animal charities.

Get “Moving Violation”, the first book in Melanie’s Chloe Boston Cozy Mystery Series, absolutely free by visiting your favorite online bookstore or by selecting from these links:

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1. At any given time do you work on only one story at a time and maybe plot out the next one or are there many ideas racing around your head?

The head is always full of ideas, but you can’t let them out. Trying to organize more than one project at a time is like herding cats. There is also the danger of mental whiplash because I write both contemporary and historical novels. One doesn’t jaunt between 15th century Scotland and 21^st century Maine. Or I don’t. My characters begin speaking in some pretty peculiar dialects when I try.

2. Is there a genre you haven't written in but would like to? Or wish you could write in?

Horror. But it would need to be period horror. There are wonderful writers like Richard Laymon who can wallow in blood and guts, but I’m not one of them. I need slow-building moody horror and eldritch winds scratching at the doors and windows. And, to a degree, writing paranormal romance and urban fantasy has allowed me to do this so the urge has been kept at bay.

3. Do you add an element of romantic suspense in your stories?

In most of the series, yes. I like a bit of heart of darkness stuff. Sleuths are people too and in a well-rounded life a little romantic rain must fall. It can also add to the tension to discover that there is something sinister about the love interest.

4. Say you have unlimited funds: What kind of writing office/cottage would you create for yourself?

Have you seen Alexandre Dumas’ cottage, Monte Cristo? I think that pocket castle in a secret garden would suit me. But since I started off writing in a coat closet—quiet, no windows or other distractions—having an actual office for writing seems the height of spacious elegance. And I still keep the drapes closed to limit my distractions.

5. If you could turn your novel into a TV show, which novel or series would you do? Where would it be set? Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS), Cable (AMC, BBC, Lifetime) or Premium Cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz)?

Cable. There is more freedom. The T.V. network censors would probably not deal well with certain aspects of my stories—whether paranormal and violent or intensely sweet. In my greatest fantasy Adam Ball (True Blood, Six Feet Under) would direct.

6. Finally, tell us about your latest release!

There are two. Carved in Stone (A Miss Henry Cozy Mystery) and the Spanish translation of Moving Violation (A Chloe Boston Cozy Mystery).

Carved in Stone follows the continuing adventures of artist and retired NSA agent, Juliet Henry. This time she is in San Francisco where a mansion restoration uncovers the body of a murdered woman who disappeared in the 1950’s.

Moving Violation is the first book in my most popular mystery series. Many of my romances have been translated into foreign languages and done well so I thought it was time to expand Chloe Boston’s horizons. There are so many Spanish speaking people in the world that this seemed a good place to start. It is a bit of risk but we shall see if the life of a small town meter-maid in Hope Falls, Washington will resonate with other cultures.

Where to Buy:

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This book is on sale for only $0.99, as are the first books of Melanie's most popular other series:

Moving Violation (Chloe Boston Cozy Mysteries 1)

Kindle
Nook

Due North (Butterscotch Jones Cozy Mysteries 1)

Kindle
Nook

Portrait of a Gossip (Miss Henry Cozy Mysteries 1)

Kindle
Nook

 

The Secret Staircase (Wendover House Gothic Mysteries 1)
Kindle
Nook

 

Welcome to Hope Falls, home of the world's smallest but smartest detective...

"Moving Violation" is the first book in author Melanie Jackson's bestselling Chloe Boston Cozy Mystery Series. Within it's covers we meet the diminutive sleuth Chloe Boston, a member of the Hope Falls Police Department who is stuck in parking enforcement because at 98 pounds, 5 foot nothing, she will never be able to pass the department's physical entrance exam to become an officer.

In the first installment of this light-hearted cozy mystery series Chloe investigates the death of a local industrialist. Of course, her efforts are hampered by her lack of official status within the department. But there may be another way to achieve her goal of someday becoming a detective. With the aid of her dog, Blue, and her writer's group, Chloe may just be able to solve Hope Fall's recent homicide and by so doing impress the new chief of police.

The Chloe Boston cozy mysteries are light airy reads filled with plenty of quirky characters and fast moving plot elements. And the best part is that if you become hooked on the books, as I'm sure you will, there are 21 more of them in the series for you to enjoy.

Fourth Anniversary Illustrated Edition

The fourth anniversary rerelease of this classic series opener includes illustrations by author Lisa Cach as well as bonus material originally released separately under the title the "Chloe Boston Files".

If you're looking to spend a pleasant evening snuggled up in a chair by the fire reading a good book then you need look no further -- this is the book for you.

Let's stay in touch...

---Melanie

Melanie will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble during the tour!

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Interview with T.M. Williams for Clusters @imtmwilliams

T.M. Williams began her writing career by accident when a song inspired a story. Once she discovered the writing bug she couldn't stop. Since starting her writing career late in 2012 she has gone on to write several more novels, including two Amazon best-sellers.

She writes Experimental Fiction and Non-Fiction. She is also a freelance journalist, copywriter, and public speaker.

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1. At any given time do you work on only one story at a time and maybe plot out the next one or are there many ideas racing around your head?

I’m always working on about 3 books at a time. Right now I’m editing one before I send it off to my editors  and writing two other books simultaneously. It’s just how my brain works. If I had to focus on one project I’d probably freeze up.

2. Is there a genre you haven't written in but would like to? Or wish you could write in?

No. If I wanted to write in a genre that isn’t my typical forte I would at least give it a try. I write for the pure enjoyment of it and because of what’s in my heart. I don’t let myself become limited by industry standards or what ‘sells’. If no one ever read my books, I would still write them. I’m just lucky in that I do have loyal and awesome readers who like my books.

3. Do you add an element of romantic suspense in your stories?

I think there’s always romance and suspense in a book – maybe not in the traditional sense that we think. We’re either being romanced by the character, the setting, etc. But, my Bohemian Grove trilogy definitely has a romantic story line to it that’s a Pandora’s Box of sorts. I can’t really say much more than that because it’ll give away the plot of the story. But it’s a crucial piece to the storyline that slowly reveals itself through the series.

In CLUSTERS: Case of the Missing, the romantic suspense is between a man and the forest and the Sheriff and an unsolved case. It’s a dance between a known and an unknown element. I can’t think of anything more romantic than that – and like some romances, you never know if it’ll have a happy or tragic ending.

4. Say you have unlimited funds: What kind of writing office/cottage would you create for yourself?

I have a home office but it’s irrelevant to my work. I put my headphones on, listen to the right music, and I’m already taken to the place I need to be for my story. The beauty of my job is my setting is always changing. Sometimes, I’m in the middle of the forest of Crater Lake or I’m inside the Great Pyramid of Giza or I’m looking at the peaks of Mt. McKinley in Alaska. The imagination is limitless and takes us wherever we need to go.

5. If you could turn your novel into a TV show, which novel or series would you do? Where would it be set? Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS), Cable (AMC, BBC, Lifetime) or Premium Cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz)?

I would definitely say the Bohemian Grove trilogy or CLUSTERS: Case of the Missing. The trilogy for the visual aspects of it. It takes place in such stunning environments that I’d just love to see it. Clusters because it’s so different from anything else and is an ongoing mystery. I would say the trilogy would have to be on SyFy and Clusters would need to be on HBO or even something simple like the Travel Channel.

6. Finally, tell us about your latest release!

CLUSTERS: Case of the Missing is a paranormal mystery inspired by real events that have been occurring in our national forests for over a century. I was first exposed to these events by David Paulides who wrote several books on missing people vanishing under very unusual circumstances. I incorporated some of the real cases into my book and I have to say, I’ve never read anything like it myself.

Where to Buy:
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Excerpt:
Just as Michael reached for the pot of coffee, replaying that scene in his head for the thousandth time, a noise from the back room stopped him. Claire was closest to the hallway where the sound came from and she spun around quickly, drawing her gun.

Deena shot up to her feet, her eyes bright with concern. “Who’s back there?” she whispered to the officers.

The Captain shook his head. No one was back there. Michael had checked the bedrooms just an hour before, like he had done every morning, hoping to find some missing clue as to Olivia’s sudden disappearance. Claire backed up to the north side of the hallway while Sean and Craig flanked the other side, their guns drawn as well.

The noise came again, clearer this time. “Is that a dog?” Claire whispered, her eyebrows drawn together in a deep V.

Whimpers filled the home, followed by – scratching? Claire narrowed her eyes as they made their way quickly down the hallway toward Olivia’s bedroom, with Michael leading. As they entered her room it was clear where the noise came  from.

“I think that’s our dog,” Deena said, wide-eyed.

The rangers all exchanged looks. The family dog had disappeared the same morning as Olivia.

Michael approached Olivia’s closet door and motioned for Craig and Sean to flank his right. He opened the door in one quick motion just as the frightened looking dog bounced out of the closet, causing Michael to stumble back at the sight inside.

Deena’s tortured scream pierced the air as she fell to the floor, crawling over to the dead body of her little girl, curled up on the closet floor.

 

The author will be awarding $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner during the tour!

 

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#NewRelease: Key to Lawrence by Gary and Linda Cargill

The Cargills docked at Southampton and explored the South of England in preparation for this thriller, Key to Lawrence. They also sailed the North Atlantic just like Dora Benley. But their transatlantic voyages were on the Queen Mary 2 instead of the Lusitania. They made use of the American Southwest where they live to depict the Syrian Desert that was home to Lawrence of Arabia. Visit their website. Read their blog. Linda also has a Facebook Fan Page.

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Blurb:

Water rushed into the four, great smoke stacks of the ship as they, too, hit the waves. Tremendous, churning whirlpools sucked victims inside. A few were ejected, blackened with soot. Propellers rose above the maelstrom. The rudder lifted higher than the smoke stacks. The ship's prow pointed down toward the deep. It looked as if the ship's nose would hit the sea bed hundreds of feet below. The Lusitania sank in only 18 minutes after being torpedoed on May 7, 1915. Dora Benley vowed revenge on the enemy. Key to Lawrence tracks the beginning of her quest for justice in this special edition of the first volume of the Edward Ware Thriller Series. It commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Great War.

 
Where to Buy: Amazon

Excerpt:

Manhattan — Saturday, May 1, 1915

The stranger stared at Dora’s package. A wide-brimmed hat shaded his face, revealing only a dark beard and mustache. Smoking a small, cheap, stubby cigar, dressed in a nondescript, ill-fitting dark suit, the man strutted towards her in a menacing fashion. Blueish-white cigar smoke curled upward in a lazy corkscrew. It vanished into the air several yards above his head.

Twenty-year-old Dora Benley quickly stuffed the surprise birthday gift for her father into her satchel. Holding a green parasol edged with black fringe over her head she skirted crowds of well-dressed, gossiping passengers waiting to board the Lusitania. Dressed in a full-length, aquamarine dress with white lace around the sleeves, Dora moved as far away from the intruder as she could without falling off the edge of the pier.

She searched impatiently for her parents. They were supposed to rendezvous with her at 11:00 AM. By now it was almost noon!

A man and woman reporting team burst upon the crowd at Cunard’s Pier 54. They were trailed by a photographer and his assistants carrying a large folding camera and a tripod. The reporters hurled themselves at the passengers.

“What do you think of the German announcement?” The male reporter thrust a copy of The New York Times at Dora. He pointed to the advertisement prominently displayed on the front page:

The author will be giving away a historical, 100-year-old postcard of the Lusitania during the tour!

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#NewRelease Reconciled for Easter by Noelle Adams @NoelleAdams3

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel. She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

Social Media: Website: http://noelle-adams.com/Home_Page.html Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoelleAdams3 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6572847.Noelle_Adams Book Trailer for Reconciled for Easter: http://youtu.be/uRCv460Clr0 Embed code:

Blurb:

Abigail has been separated from her husband for almost two years. After a marriage that brought her only insecurity, she seeks a life now of peace and independence with their six-year-old daughter. Thomas wants to put their marriage back together, because he liked the wife he used to have, but she never wants to be that person again.

She might need his help with their daughter and start to enjoy his company again, but she just can't trust him with her heart. Even when she discovers that her heart still wants him for a husband.

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Excerpt:

She was leaning back against the counter, and Thomas was standing far too close to her. Once again invading her personal space. And this time she easily recognized his tone as snide. “What the heck is your problem?”

Thomas had one hand on the counter beside her, bracing himself as he stood just a few inches away from her. She would have scooted over, but that would have been a surrender.

His green eyes were intent on her face, and she saw his nostrils flare just a little. “You smell like him.”

Abigail gasped, mostly from shock and outrage but also with the faintest trace of arousal at the intimacy of the words. “What?”

“I said,” he gritted out, edging even closer until the fabric of his shirt brushed against her arm and one of her breasts, “you smell like him.”

“Well, what do you expect?” she demanded, her anger blazing quickly. No one could rile her up like Thomas could. “I spent the evening with the man.”

Something grew even tenser in his expression. “Did you?”

She knew him well enough to understand the resonance in his words. “Damn you, Thomas,” she said in a harsh whisper, making sure her voice didn’t carry past the kitchen. She’d never used such language before they’d gotten separated. “You have no right to act this way.”

Clearly Thomas too was conscious of not waking Mia, since his murmur was thick, rough, and soft. “I’d like to remind you of the fact that you’re still my wife.”

“And what makes you think I need any sort of reminder of that?

His lips tightened into white. “I saw him walk you to the door.”

She sucked in an indignant breath and clenched her fists at her sides. Thomas was still far too close. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, sense the leashed tension in his stance, hear the fast, uneven breaths he was taking. “So someone isn’t allowed to be polite to me now, because I’m still your wife?”

Thomas made a guttural sound and braced his other hand on the counter, imprisoning her in between his arms. He leaned forward, pushing her back, and he rasped against her ear. “That man wasn’t just being polite. You know it as well as I do.”

She was so angry now she could hardly think straight, and it was worse to know that he was right. She’d been foolish in not recognizing what Jim was thinking long before now.

But worst of all was a familiar feeling building beneath her belly. She knew how to recognize it. Knew it was triggered by the proximity of Thomas’s lean, hard body, his familiar scent flooding her senses, his piercing eyes and thick voice.

Her body was primed for sex with him, even as she wanted to scratch lines down his slightly flushed face.

Noelle will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card during the tour!

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