Chariss K Walker tells us about Purple Kitty and A Medium's Birthday Surprise

Welcome to author and teacher Chariss K Walker!

Multi-award-winning author, Chariss K. Walker, M.Msc., Reiki Master/Teacher, writes both fiction and nonfiction books with a metaphysical and spiritual component. Those who search for meaning and the supernatural in themselves will enjoy her books whether readers of fiction or nonfiction.

Her fiction expresses a visionary/metaphysical message that illustrates growth in a character's consciousness while utilizing a paranormal aspect. Her nonfiction books share insight, hope, and inspiration.

Although Chariss writes some dark-fiction books about insanely dark topics that are not suitable for faint-hearted readers, there is always an essential question of the abstract nature that gives a reader increased awareness and perception. She also writes cozy mysteries and inspirational women's studies fiction.

All of her books are sold worldwide in eBook, paperback, and due to her own eyesight problems, many are in large print.

 What would you say are your strengths as an author?

My greatest strength as an author is that I use my own voice by writing about things that I know. I use a lot of personal experiences but I also research technical information. That blending feels right for me.

How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?

I definitely use a strict routine. I treat my writing like a job and put in the hours. I set aside a time to write and I set aside a separate time to promote the books I have written. That part never ends. I have recently been through an extensive promotional period and now I am headed into the writing phase of the year. I admit that I prefer to write, but one must also get the word out about their books and that involves extensive promotional efforts.

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

In five years I hope to be an Internationally-Best-Selling-Author with a few more awards under my belt.

 If you could offer once piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?

For new writers, especially Indie Writers, I would advise that they take their time and not rush the process. Never get in a hurry. Make sure the book is the best it can be with professional editing and proofreading and that it has a marvelous book cover before they publish… even if funds are tight and they must take classes to learn how to design a cover on their own as I did. Because once the book is out there for sale and listed on various websites, it makes its first impression and we want that to be a great one. You can never recreate a first impression so put everything you have into that initial debut.  

What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?

I fell in love with the characters and I did not want their story to end.

What are you working on now?

I have two books that are my current Works-in-Progress. The first is A Medium's Wedding (Becky Tibbs: A North Carolina Medium's Mystery Series, Book 6) which is a cozy ghost mystery. The second is Sondra (2121, Book 2) which is a post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy series.

Website and other links to your social media pages.

Website: https://chariss.com

Amazon Author Page: http://viewauthor.at/CharissKWalker

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CharissKWalkerAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1984212.Chariss_K_Walker

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chariss-k-walker

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chariss_walker

Purple Kitty (A Serena McKay Crime Novel, Book 1)

Not so cute and cuddly! Not a cozy mystery! Not like any crime story you have read.

Serena McKay, P.I., lives in a post-apocalyptic dystopian time where the rich get richer and the poor are homeless. Existence in August City is nightmarish at best and disastrously chilling at worst. Serena has suffered from devastating emotional and physical abuse but she continues to do her job in spite of it.

As a strong, albeit dysfunctionally-flawed private investigator, Serena uses every weapon in her arsenal to solve bloodcurdling crimes in this hard-boiled, dark-fiction, dystopian thriller series while a notorious serial killer is after her green eyes...

Can Serena catch The Cellophane Killer who slaughters women with green eyes and then wraps them up in cellophane like a sandwich for her to find?

Will she catch him, or will he catch her?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EHUL2MI

A Medium's Birthday Surprise (Becky Tibbs: A North Carolina Medium's Mystery Series, Book 1)

She sees ghosts!

Join Becky as she solves many mysteries in this light, clean, airy, and informative five-book series.

Becky Tibbs didn’t ask for the job or the gift of being a medium, but after her parents died, the unusual ability became a bequest – a gift handed down from her mother’s side of the family.

An optimistic and positive young woman, Becky determines to make the best of a difficult situation in the small town of Asheville, North Carolina where the smallest detail is noticed and everyone knows everything about everyone else.

Becky deals with a lot of departed spirits in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Such a job can get rather hectic at times. Misunderstood ghosts can create a lot of sticky problems for the living and a community such as hers.

Used to dealing with ghosts on a daily basis, Becky is not easily surprised. However, on her 26th birthday, Becky gets the biggest shock she’s had in the past ten years and it’s a doozy.

Buy Link - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DMCGMSH

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Round Robin Blog Fest July 25

Hope you're all keeping cool this summer! 
It's a hot summer here in Southern Ontario. I've been going for walks early in the morning and gardening in the evening if it cools off at all. I'm luck to get to hang out on the shores of Georgian Bay some weekends as well, which sure helps to beat the heat!

Today's question for our Round Robin Blog Fest is:  
How do you develop a character who is different in personality from all the other characters you have developed, or from yourself?

Hoo boy! Do I have a character for this one!
I'm not sure where Enid Walsh who appears in my novel All That Sparkles came from, but I do know who inspired her. Way back when, I worked in a bank. If you want to see a parade of characters, a bank can be a good place to be. Banks, coffee shops, and grocery stores...

One day while I was at work this woman came in that I can still picture to this day!
She was tall and heavy set wearing a bright yellow dress and the thickest blue eye shadow I've ever seen. She also carried a small purse dog and had a voice that carried to the four corners of the building, which was important when she announced that she really needed to pumice her feet because they looked awful in her sandals. Fortunately, she didn't just tell everyone about her feet once or twice, but several times. It was very hard not to laugh.

So how does Enid fit into this? 

Enid Walsh is a seventy-something gossip columnist in Glitter Bay who takes liberties with the truth and follows Laken Miller in All That Sparkles like a moth after wool. She is bold in appearance and in everything else she does. She also doesn't do anything for someone else without a price.

An older woman wearing a wide-brimmed purple hat and a pale violet cardigan over a faded red blouse took a few timid steps inside. She reminded me of Sammy when I’d first found him. Nervous and unsure.

Sammy took a few quick sniffs and gave a low growl.

“Stop that.” I held him tighter. “I’m sorry. He’s never like that with anyone.”

Not that I knew of anyway.

Blue curls beneath the woman’s hat. Not grey-blue, but a bold robin’s egg. Her gaze darted around the room like she was either searching for or afraid of something. Or someone.

Since Gill still hadn’t returned, I took a deep breath. “Can I help you?”

“That depends.” She eyed both Sammy and me. “Do you work here?”

My face grew warm. “Well, no, but Gill’s busy.”

“I see.” Her shoulders lowered an inch. “I heard a rumor that Tilly…”

I didn’t know what to say.

“She’s not here.” Gill snarled behind me. “What do you want, Enid? You know you’re banned from setting foot in here.”

I raised my eyebrows just as Sammy leaped from my arms and nearly pulled the leash from my hand. When he ran toward Enid, I stopped him short. Rude, but effective.

“I’m fully aware of my standing around here.” She straightened her purple hat, puffed her chest and stood straighter. “I heard of Tilly’s passing and simply wanted to extend my condolences.”

Sammy ignored the taut leash and crept closer to Enid’s blue leather shoes.

“You don’t simply do anything,” Gill said. “What do you want?”

She pursed her pale pink lips. “Is it true she was murdered?”

“Get out.” His face reddened as he threw a teacup in her direction.

With the grace of a dancer, Enid stepped aside to narrowly miss a hit to the shoulder. The cup shattered on the floor, which made Sammy run around and wind his leash around my ankles.

“Gill, stop that!” I tried to lunge toward him, but the leash bound my legs. I stumbled forward with no idea what to do next.

Click on the image for buy links!

I do hope you'll stop by to meet Enid, Laken, Sage, Sammy, and the rest of the gang in Glitter Bay!
You can also check out these amazing authors and see who their interesting characters are:

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1Y4
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

An Introduction to Diane Bator's Wild Blue Mystery series!

Welcome to Packham and the

Wild Blue Mysteries

The ladies of Packham are going to drive the sleuths of Wild Blue Detective Agency to drink

-- if they don't get them killed first.

The Bookstore Lady will always have a spot in my heart. Mostly, because it was the first book I had published, aside from a novella called Murder on Manitou. The image at the top of this blog was created by one of my very good friends and fabulous editors Laura LaRocca who has stood by me from the start. I keep this on my wall as a reminder of how far I've come!

How did this series come about?  Oddly enough, it all started with a dream about a cat. That scene appears in The Bookstore Lady where Danny Walker and Katie Mullins are getting to know each other. As I wrote the scene, those two characters came to life and the rest of the book evolved from prompts in writing group meetings.

Why is the series called Wild Blue Mysteries?
Wild Blue is the name of the Detective Agency Danny and his partner Leo Blue set up for a sting operation where Danny first meets Paulina Chourney. Once the whole case takes them back to Danny's home town of Packham, they start to shift gears and try to escape from the city. Where Danny finds it agreeable and even buys a century home in the country, Leo finds it harder to enjoy small town life until he meets Christina Davidson who runs the local bakery.

Why doesn't Katie go back to using her real name, Paulina Chourney, after the bad guys are caught?
Partly because her character has been known as Katie by the locals who are a little set in their ways. Also because she's afraid of becoming that person she was before her life changed so drastically. Paulina was drawn into a world of corruption and money. Katie lives a simpler life running a bookstore and living with an elderly woman writer who loves a good mystery--and to mete out justice of her own.

Why do all of the books feature different pairs of main characters?
Danny and Katie start to become a couple in The Bookstore Lady - once Danny tracks her down and tries to save her from her former bosses. With meddling writers and henchmen who love nothing more than a good fight, he's got more than enough action on his hands. 
In The Mystery Lady, Danny investigates Lucy Stephens, a local mom and mystery writer. Leo Blue meets Lucy in this book as well, but the chemistry isn't quite right.
The Bakery Lady became Leo and Christina's story. Not a fan of the small town and its nosy inhabitants, it isn't until Leo goes to the local tattoo parlor and hangs out with Clancy Davidson, that he meets a secretive woman who changes his mind about small towns and romance. Christina Davidson takes no nonsense and has a history that draws him in like a bear to honey.
The Painted Lady is a continuation of Leo and Christina's story with more life altering secrets coming to light, including an art forgery and murder.
Book five, The Frightened Lady, will take the story back to Danny and Katie who have run into their own obstacles once again. This time with a woman who confesses to a murder that took place many years earlier and an angry man who stalks Katie.
After that... well, I guess we'll see what new ideas come along.

***Be sure to read through to the bottom for a fun treat!!

Here are the list of Wild Blue Mystery novels to date. I hope you check them out!

Book 1: The Bookstore Lady

Danny Walker is tracking Paulina Chourney who fell deep into the dark side of life and is lucky to get out before her boyfriend Maddox kills her. She escapes Maddox and arrives in a small town, which she sees as a blessing in disguise since the men she worked for would never think to look for her in a lazy, backwater place like Packham. She changes her name to Katie Mullins, makes a deal on a little bookstore and joins a local writing group then successfully fades into anonymity. Until Danny Walker shows up to visit family and figures out who she is.

When Paulina catches her 80-year-old landlady sneaking out in the middle of the night, the bad guys catch up to her and Danny disappears, she has to choose between spending her life on the run or standing up to face her past. Hopefully before the quirky townsfolk turn her death into a spectacle.

Book 2: The Mystery Lady

Danny Walker used to enjoy chasing criminals, but after being kidnapped and nearly killed, he longs to close the Wild Blue Detective Agency and live a simpler life. Forced to take leave from the police force, he has a long way to go to convince the shrink he's even close to sane, especially when he helps his former partner solve a series of murders, which endangers the woman he's tailing.

Wanna-be writer Lucy Stephen never wrote about murder until her husband moved out and thinks some man in a blue car is stalking her. When her husband and his girlfriend take her kids on vacation, Lucy discovers a hidden package of jewelry her husband desperately wants. The more she learns about the assorted pieces, the more Lucy realizes she may never see her kids again and needs to fight back with the help of the man who stalks her.

Book 3: The Bakery Lady

From the moment Leo Blue meets the tattoo artist 's sister Christina, he's drawn into a web of bread dough and lies. Christina Davidson has returned to Packham with a duffle bag full of secrets. Leo soon discovers her biggest secret is Christina's alter ego and her husband who stands accused of murdering an up-and-coming artist. He promises to help set things straight and plans to bring husband and wife together for Christmas—even if it costs him his sanity and the love of his life.

Book 4: The Painted Lady

The pieces of Christina Davidson's life have built up into place over the past few months, despite the one last secret she's trying hard to hide. When Leo Blue returns to town, then people from her past turn up, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble and the only people who can help her now are the men of the Wild Blue Detective Agency.

Leo Blue can't escape Packham nor the life of a private detective no matter how hard he tries. Six months after the murder of artist DJ Gage, the prices of Gage's paintings soar. When a woman winds up dead and a forgery is discovered in the local art gallery, Leo has to find a murderer and a forger.

Where to find me and my Books (Here, obviously!)

Website:  http://penspaintsandpaper.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dibator

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-Bator-Author/263599617046736?ref=hl

BWL Publishing:  https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

AND NOW THE TREAT!!

Click here to hear my Virtual Storytelling Session for the Orangeville Public Library and Community Living Dufferin! (about 15 min long)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ-D_osk6GE&fbclid=IwAR2GU86agQBT0zjVOmQiTAAazueXpDcIld5niFbuHl0OSthqrvW8r6lsVnk

Hope you enjoy!

Diane

Jack Byrne discusses The Liverpool Mystery series

Welcome to mystery author Jack Byrne!

I am married with two kids and although I was born and raised in an Irish catholic family in Liverpool UK, I now live in Hungary. I had no career as such, most working people don’t, we move from job to job, if we are lucky we have a skill, but still move from job to job. I have done everything from factory work, to setting up and running my own businesses, some more successful than others.  I currently run a small English language school in a lovely town set around a lake. I gained a Bachelor's degree in English at the age of forty, when I left school at sixteen I had no qualifications.

I am two and half books into the four novels that make up The Liverpool Mystery Series, each can be read independently, but reading all of them will help you get more out of each one. The first book I wrote was Under The Bridge set in Garston, Liverpool. I am currently querying that with agents and publishers so am holding off on self publishing it. 

The Morning After is the second and will be available for pre order very soon, it was writing this book that I realised this was a series all along. I am currently writing Fire Next Time and The Wicklow Boys will follow. Each are stand alone novels and you can read them in any order, like our lives they are a moment in time, connected to what happens before and after. 

Website and other links to your social media pages: (These are the most informative.)

https://www.facebook.com/Jack-Byrne-553321885196623/

 https://jackbyrne.home.blog/

Tell us about your life outside of writing.

I spend my time between teaching and looking after two kids, 2 cats and a dog. I enjoy spending time with my family, a few beers with friends, and reading about how the world is going to pot. Nothing has beaten The Wire and Sopranos yet, though I waste my time trying to find a substitute.

Do you have a work in progress?

 My work in progress is called Fire Next Time and is centered around a young guy who’s life is turned upside down when he witnesses the arrest of a climate change protester who later dies in police custody. The main character Charlie becomes involved in the movement and uncovers some disturbing information about the arresting officer, as a result the most immediate danger to his life is not climate change.  

What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?

In Under The Bridge a father grieves for his son who committed suicide in the British Army while serving in Northern Ireland. One of my brothers committed suicide at the age of 19 while serving in the Army in Northern Ireland, so I am not ashamed to admit the tears flowed while writing those scenes.

What sort of research do you do for your work?

Having lived a varied and eventful life, a lot is drawn from experience, but I do research historical facts for context and timeline. I also try to walk the routes, see the buildings, and taste the atmosphere of settings.

Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author that inspires you?

The list is long and wide, Emile Zola’s Germinal was an early world changer, all of Dickens. An amazing book passed hand to hand in working class communities especially in Liverpool ‘The ragged trousered philanthropists.” by Robert Tressell. Classics thrillers from Le Carre, Follet, and so many more. 

Was there a person who encouraged you to write?

No. I wrote a novel about 30 years ago. A couple of family members read it and enjoyed it. I thought it was ok, but I didn’t have confidence in myself or my writing. I gave it to my best friend at the time, he never bothered to read it. Then recently I started writing again, and a teacher who worked with us read it, and kept asking for the next chapter- suddenly I had an audience that wanted to read what I was writing, and the floodgates kinda opened. So thanks Ronan!

 Under the Bridge

A body is unearthed close to the docks. Ann, a cub reporter, is assigned to what should be a routine story. Her friend Vinny struggles to overcome his demons and uncover the secrets connecting a Liverpool/Irish gang, a vanished father, and the police war in Ireland. Despite threats, together they unravel the threads of police corruption, crime, and murder.

The Morning After

One day 35 years apart changes everything. 1981 in Liverpool, riots and unemployment set the scene for a group of friends. A robbery, a watch, and an old man’s death changes their lives forever. 2016 – Brexit and austerity dominate the news. A car crash and a drug overdose force Vinny to face a secret that has haunted him since childhood.

Fire Next Time

The world is burning. Liverpool FC are heading for their first title in 30 years and Charlie Dwyer is happy, until his world is turned upside down by the death of a climate protester in police custody. Charlie is drawn into climate rebellion unaware the most immediate danger to his life is not global warming.

The Wicklow Boys

Where the story begins… The last will be first will be last and the last will be first. Chronologically, the first in the series, the last to be written. Vinny searches for the truth about his father and finds a story of ambush, betrayal, and flight. In Ireland, Vinny discovers that all history is a matter of life and death.

THE ONE ROAD 

Click here to get your free prequel to the series:   https://bit.ly/TMAjackbyrne  

David Albertyn tells us more about Undercard

Welcome to Escape with a Writer Sunday, David Albertyn!

I had the pleasure of not only reviewing this book, but meeting the author who is a really great guy! I have to say I can easily see this book as a movie…

The choices we make have a ripple effect on others whether we realize it or not. Tyron Shaw's return to Las Vegas after his stint in the military brings the consequences of the choices he and his circle of friends to the surface. Undercard is a riveting novel with well-rounded characters and a story that will keep you guessing until the end. I definitely look forward to reading future novels by this author! (as well as attending future events!)  

David Albertyn (1983) was born in Durban, South Africa, and grew up in Toronto, Canada. He studied at Queen’s University and the Humber School for Writers, and coached tennis until the publication of his first novel, “Undercard” (2019), which was a finalist for the Forest of Reading Evergreen Award, and made 49^th Shelf’s Top Fiction List of 2019 and CrimeReads’ list of “8 Debut Novels You Should Read This June” (2020). Among many sports, he primarily competed in track and field growing up, then in tennis as an adult. When he completes a draft of a novel, he does as much yoga and running in nature as he can, promptly burns out, and as soon as he’s recovered, it’s time to work on a new draft. His goal is to write visceral novels that are both thrilling and meaningful. 

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

I think making a story exciting and entertaining is something I’ve had for a long time. Particularly action scenes I’ve been studying and writing since I was a child. When I came across a great chase, fight, or shootout in a book, I would read it over and over and try to analyze how the author had made that reading experience so thrilling, then I would try my best to emulate their techniques.

     I would also say that cutting between multiple perspectives, and between past and present, like I do in Undercard, is a strength of mine. I believe this might have come from studying Film at university and editing short films.

     Where I’ve worked very hard to develop my writing is stylistically, and particularly in descriptions and detail. It’s been a lot of years of intense effort to shore up that side of my writing.

     But what I would say is my best strength as an author is that I really dig deep in my writing. I dig deep within myself and use a lot of emotion to breathe life and depth into my characters. Writing is by no means an effortless experience for me. It takes a lot from me.

How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?

I don’t always write. I take breaks between drafts to recover, and when I am promoting a release, like I am with Undercard being recently released in the US now, I try to put all my energy into that. But when I am in a writing phase, I do follow a fairly strict routine. I try to get up early (it used to be 6 am although increasingly it’s 5 am) and write first thing in the morning. I’ll try to have a session of an hour or two to start the day. Then if I have the time and the energy, I’ll try to get in two more sessions of about an hour over the course of the day. Occasionally I can do four sessions in a day, but that is a lot for me. I usually write five to six days a week, leaving a day or two to refresh my mind.

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

That’s a very good question. I try not to think about results too much and just focus on what I can control, but I hope that in five years I have at least one, and ideally two, more books that I’m truly proud of. I’m very proud of Undercard, and if I could create two more books that I feel the same way about, that I’ve poured my heart and soul into and feel like I’ve created something worthwhile, then I’ll feel very happy.

If you could offer one piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?

I’ve said this in other interviews, and I’d like to say something different but I’m going to say it again because I think it’s the most important thing when it comes to writing, or any skill: keep improving. Improving is more important than any short-term success. Finding ways to continuously improve at your writing is what will make your writing experience richer, will make your work more interesting, and will create opportunities for you over time. Try different things. Push yourself in new ways. Don’t be afraid of setbacks. Don’t be afraid of failure. Know that anything good that was ever written took multiple drafts. Know that anything great that was ever written took near countless drafts. It is in all of us to improve. You can do it, and you will be rewarded for it.

What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?

These are great questions, Diane. I never really thought about that before. I think the best thing anyone could say to me about my book is that it affected them. It meant something to them. Reading it was a worthwhile experience that they won’t forget. Hearing that would mean a lot to me. But just to be clear, I’m not going to turn down a compliment. Any compliment I’ll take, and I’ll appreciate it.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on a murder mystery dramedy set in the tennis club world. I think it could be very funny. I’m really working hard on making it as funny as possible—a deviation from Undercard, which I tried to make as visceral, gritty, and intense as possible. There is also a lot of sex in it. I feel like it could really be a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to finish it so I can share it with everybody.

Where can you find out more?

instagram.com/davidalbertyn

twitter.com/DavidAlbertyn

facebook.com/DavidAlbertynWriter

linkedin.com/in/david-albertyn

UNDERCARD

Set over the course of twenty-four exhilarating hours, Undercard is the story of four childhood friends, now in their early thirties, unexpectedly reunited by a high-profile prizefight in a Las Vegas casino . . . and an even higher-profile murder.

When Tyron Shaw returns to his hometown of Las Vegas after eleven years in the Marines, he’s surprised to discover that two of his best friends from childhood are all anyone is talking about: Antoine Deco, three years out of prison, hasn’t lost a boxing match since his release, and tonight is fighting in the undercard to the fight of the decade; and Keenan Quinn, a police officer who killed an unarmed teenager and escaped punishment from the courts, is the subject of a protest tomorrow morning.

Tyron has trouble reconciling either story with his memory of these men, and the situation escalates when he runs into the love of his life, Naomi Wilks, a retired WNBA player, basketball coach, and estranged wife of Keenan. As Tyron reconnects with his old community, he will learn over the next twenty-four hours that much has changed since he left Las Vegas . . . and there is much more that he never understood.

The Reef, an aquarium-themed casino and the hottest resort on the Strip, is the backdrop for this bullet-paced narrative, where loyalty to one’s friends, one’s family, and one’s community are ever at odds, and every choice has deadly repercussions. 

https://davidalbertyn.com/undercard/#buy-now-undercard

“A rich, exhilarating story…Albertyn creates a pressure-cooker scenario for his characters, but manages amidst the adrenaline to bring out moments of insight and humanity.”

—Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads Editor-in-Chief

“[Albertyn] successfully generates a gritty, dark atmosphere in the novel that draws on the best elements of noir to keep readers edgy and absorbed. His interiors are dark and gloomy, and his exteriors make us feel agoraphobic and threatened in a vague, undefined way.”

—New York Journal of Books 

“Fast-paced, fearless, and psychologically astute, Undercard is at once a terrific thriller and a sharp commentary on our turbulent times.”

— David Bezmozgis, author of Immigrant City

“Undercard is a dizzying rollercoaster of suspense and action that examines the complexities of brotherhood and the consequences of tragic masculinity. Albertyn’s pitch-perfect understanding of the bonds of friendship gives this novel a powerful emotional center. If The Hangover were a serious suspense novel, it would be Undercard.”

—S. A. Cosby, author of Blacktop Wasteland