James Mathis talks about The Framed Father and The Penitent Priest

Today we welcome James Mathis who writes the exciting Father Tom Mysteries!

James Mathis was born in Orlando, Florida in the halcyon days when the land was covered with orange groves and swamps, with nary a mouse in sight. He discovered his love for writing in high school, though history remained his first passion. After getting a PhD in the subject from the University of Florida, he began an enjoyable career as an archivist with the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Following a bout with cancer, James rediscovered his love for writing, beginning a series of mysteries based on the germ of an idea that he had been toying with for some time. Father Tom Greer is now among his best friends and most trusted confidant and the two are looking forward to many adventures in the near future.

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

I believe my strengths are writing compelling and believable characters, and crafting plots that compel the reader to keep turning the page. I've had several comments from readers who said they could not put the book down once they started reading.

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

I try to write every day, though usually that winds up being six days a week. I still have a full-time job, so I wake up early to get a couple of hours of writing in before I have to start work. My word goal is at least 2,000 words a day. I find the pomodoro method of writing sprints (write for 25 minutes, break for 5) to be very effective. I also track each day's work, including the days I do not write.

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

I would like to be making enough as a writer so that, with my retirement income and living a minimalist lifestyle, can write full time.

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

         Study the craft of writing, the discipline of writng, and the business of writing. Develop a consistent writing habit so you're writing a certain number of words each week (if you cannot write every day). Decide what you want to write and read books from your genre to become familiar with the common tropes that readers expect, then try to think how you can turn those tropes on their head in order to create something fresh.

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

“I couldn't put it down.”

What are you working on now?

I've finished The Framed Father, and it will be coming out on September 1. I am beginning to outline the next book in the series, The Reluctant Return, which I hope to release in mid-February. I'm also considering writing a Father Tom Mystery Christmas novella for subscribers to my newsletter and those who follow me on Facebook.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/J.R.MathisAuthor/

Website: https://www.jrmathismysteries.com/

Mailing List sign-up (they can also sign up on my website or Facebook page): https://mailchi.mp/6fca0c513493/newsletter-sign-up

THE PENITENT PRIEST

A wife murdered.

A killer at large.

A man of God with a painful secret.

When Tom Greer's wife Joan was murdered and her killer never caught, he left Myerton determined to leave the painful memories behind. Ten years later, now-Father Tom Greer returns as the temporary pastor of Saint Clare's Parish in Myerton—where he married and mourned his wife. Assigned there for four months, Father Tom’s only desire is to serve God's people quietly then leave again. He has no desire to revisit the past.

But the past won't leave Father Tom alone…

Secrets uncovered and a mysterious encounter in the confessional forces Father Tom to confront painful truths about Joan and her murder. When a police detective—a woman from Father Tom’s own past—refuses to reopen the case, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

It turns out to be a fateful decision, for Father Tom has secrets of his own…

Don’t miss this first book in a new clean mystery thriller series featuring Father Tom Greer.

THE FRAMED FATHER

Forbidden love, murder, and explosive secrets engulf Father Tom Greer in this second entry in the Father Tom Mysteries.

When the Archbishop receives an anonymous letter alleging that Saint Clare’s pastor Father Leonard McCoy of inappropriate behavior with the young parish secretary, he sends Father Tom back to Myerton from the quiet of the monastery to look into the charges. When the secretary is found dead and Father McCoy is charged with her murder, he must work against his ex-fiancée Detective Helen Parr and the State Attorney--who is also her boyfriend--to prevent a miscarriage of justice.

But everything is not as it seems...

James Mathis’ books are available from multiple retailers:

The Penitent Priest: https://books2read.com/u/4AK59N

The Framed Father: https://books2read.com/u/bwdAzG

Jim McDonald talks about his debut book Smash Palace and upcoming Counterculture Revolution

 Welcome to author Jim McDonald! 
I was fortunate to meet Jim at a Crime Writers of Canada event and mesmerized by his stories! 
I hope you will be too!

 Jim McDonald is an author, teacher, musician, actor, and officiant.

 Since 1990, he has operated A-Plus Tutoring, teaching mathematics to high school students; he specializes in statistics and calculus.

Jim launched Happy Together Wedding Ceremonies in 2017. As Humanist Officiant, he is authorized by the Ontario Government to solemnize marriages.

 While playing drums with rock band Starchild, he also wrote entertainment columns for Vancouver’s Georgia Strait and Victoria’s Monday Magazine, reviewing concerts by Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Heart, and the BeeGees.

In 2016 Jim and his son Dylan produced a movie, the comedy Fun With Math.

Married with four adult children, he enjoys playing baseball and running, and is pretty good at his local bar’s Golden-Tee Golf game.

 His novel Altered Boy is a psychological thriller set in 1960 about a teen gang of hustlers – Mickey, Joey, and Shorty – who mistakenly think new priest Father Damon is an easy mark.

Currently he is searching for a publisher for Counterculture Revolution. Set in 1970 this historical thriller follows the guerilla actions of Weather Underground, the terror group that bombed draft boards, courts of law, and even the Pentagon.

 Jim's book of thirty-two short stories Smash Palace, published in 2019 by Amalit Books, is available on Amazon.ca or by emailing amalitbooks@outlook.com. His debut work of short fiction will intrigue you with adventure, wit, and unforgettable characters in stories involving crime, science fiction, dystopia, and surrealisms.

Please get in touch with Jim via his website www.jimmcdonald.ca.

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

Like the long distance runner, I keep plugging away until I get to the finish line. Grit and determination are a couple of my strengths.

I think my research skills are a strength. I read every day, taking copious notes about my subject. To help me visualize the person, location, or décor I am writing about, I often find photographs of the subject, and then write to that image. For example, I used Google maps to browse the seedy mean streets of Detroit until I found a house sinister enough for my drug dealers.

I have worked hard to make each sentence the best it can be. Sometimes I’ll spend a long time searching for le mot juste, but end up with the first word or phrase chosen.

At live gatherings, I enjoy telling stories. I get a kick out of entertaining people. No wonder I became a novelist. I have a vivid imagination. Usually, I envision a scene as part of a movie.

Dialogue and accents. I appreciate the unusual words and phraseology spoken by the person on the street, and I incorporate them into the story to bring characters alive for the reader. I have a list of sayings and words used by people in 1970, and I sprinkle these words into dialogue to reflect the era.

A pet peeve: I get upset with anachronisms. If a character from a story set in 1945 says, “I’m good,” or “I’m all about revenge,” I flip. The writer should fit the language to the times. This is lazy writing.

I tend to delve into the dark side of life. My readers will meet characters they never would in real life – thieves, killers, revolutionaries, fascists, grifters, pedophiles, and druggies. What makes them tick? Why do they do the weird things they do? How does the protagonist wend his way through this dangerous maze?

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

I have other work that I need to do to make a living, and sometimes that work overwhelms the time available to write. Since I am a nighthawk, much of my writing is done after midnight when others are asleep. Sometimes I am able to write most days of the week. But even if I am not in front of the keyboard – say, I’m driving – I think of the scene I am working on, to figure out what happens next, or who says what to whom.

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

My present novel Counterculture Revolution will be for sale around the world. I’ll have one more completed book, and I’ll be working on another. My first published book Smash Palace contains thirty-two short stories. I may write a number of crime short stories, but with the same main character, the private detective Jack Barrhead. Perhaps the end product will be like the Sherlock Holmes stories – a crime, criminal pursuit, and resolution. And then on to the next case.

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

Start with short stories. Maybe a page or two at first. Get a finished product you are proud of. It may take only a few weeks. Get that feeling of accomplishment. Show your stories to others. Get their honest feedback. Make your next story better than the last one.

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

“I really enjoyed that book. I was lost in the story. It was exciting. And what strange characters.”

What are you working on now?

Now that Counterculture Revolution is complete, I am revising it one more time to check on spelling, typos, grammar, logic, and continuity.

I have gone over my research notes about a real life murder in Toronto that touched my life. I was a witness in the trial of two street hustlers who killed a man, and then dropped into the bar I was working at as DJ. I have the trial transcripts and articles about the murder. This could be a real life crime story, or I could expand on it using fictional characters.

SMASH PALACE

* Follow Mickey Kelly's life of adventure from rebellious child to the aftermath of World War III.

* Get a FREE First Edition celebratory bookmark with each copy of Smash Palace.

* The first 50 books sold will be signed by the author.

“Bed Time Story” - A hitman discovers three bullets to the heart did not kill his victim.

“The Trekotron” - A dissolute scientist travels back in time to change the fate of a friend who deserves a better life. This story explores the butterfly effect.

“Need Anything?” - An enterprising college kid plans to make a killing by scoring a quantity of hash in Detroit.

“Joy Ride” - Car thieves take a wild ride to calamity city.

“Who Is Your Wife?” - The West has lost WWIII, and survivors are on the run. The only TV show left on the planet is the sexy game show Who Is Your Wife?

“Fight Night” - A punchdrunk boxer recalls his bad old days as a mob enforcer.

“Seven Lives”- The cat that wouldn't die.

“Wild Justice” - Revenge is a dish best served cold.

“Please, Nurse” - A Kafkaesque trip through hallucinatory hallways.

Round Robin Blog Fest August 2020

I hope summer and this odd year we’ve been having has been good to you all!

In real life, I’m still working from home, but the weather has cooled enough I can get out in the garden more. Less humid right now. I’ve also started to write again, which is amazing! I’ve missed that flow of creating new stories and new lives. Currently, I’m working on book two in my Glitter Bay Mystery series called All That Shines.

Onto today’s topic for all the inquiring minds out there:  What elements do you include in your stories to make a story seem and feel more realistic to the reader?

To make my stories feel more realistic to the reader, I go through while I’m doing edits to make sure I’ve used all the five senses:  sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. We take these things for granted in our every day lives, but as writers we need to focus on the things some people might not even notice. For this blog post, I’m using examples from Dead Without Glory, book two in my Gilda Wright Mystery series.

Sight

The main character always needs to be aware of his surroundings, especially in a mystery novel. Are there other people around them? Animals on their laps. Cars whizzing by. Snow falling softly around them. Rain? A hurricane. What obstacles or opportunities are in front of them?

Often, sight is what sets the initial scene before we flesh it out using the other senses.

Gilda spun around so fast she tripped over both feet then lay sprawled in the sand with her eyes wide. A brilliant flash of light briefly blinded her. As the spots faded from her eyes, she made out the figure of a half-naked man, with loose, long blond hair, swinging a sword on the beach ahead. Her arms twitched, and she fought the urge to make sure her head was still attached to her shoulders. The bare-chested man wielded his weapon well over a hundred feet away.

Sound

A silent room tends to evoke a sense of drama and can put both characters and readers on edge. We expect something awful to happen soon. Does the character play music on the radio or on a guitar? Perhaps the television is on in the background for company and they catch a snatch of the news or a weather report. Are there things in the character’s immediate area that are so loud the character can’t think straight or becomes disoriented by noise?

She changed the channel on the television and had just settled down to watch a comedy when something thumped on the back deck. Curious, she tiptoed toward the back door and peered out the window. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark, she made out the shape of a shovel lying on the deck boards.

With no hesitation, she called the police.

Touch

Right now I’m sitting at my desk with a cool breeze blowing over my bare arms. I reach out to the warmth of my coffee cup with the raised likeness of Eeyore that ripples beneath my fingertips… Setting the scene includes textures, things like rain on a character’s face, a chill that makes goosebumps ripple over the skin, the soft fabric of a dress or a sweater. Of course, for mystery writers, that also includes the sticky wetness of blood, the thin sharp blade of a knife, or different levels of pain depending on the circumstance.

Gilda slipped off her shoes and shuffled through the cool sand, while the grains fell around her toes. She let out a long, slow breath to ease the tension from her shoulders then glanced toward Lake Erie.

Taste

Please don’t eat the book!

We all have taste memories that evoke certain emotions. The wafting scent of coffee or tea in the morning. Soft, warm bread fresh from the oven slathered with butter. Sweet cakes or cupcakes with gooey icing. For me, cabbage rolls baking in the oven of a wood stove is one that makes me nauseous. Childhood flashback. Making the sense of taste bring those memories out in readers or making them hungry for the things we write about creates one more layer that draws the reader into a story.

The smell of sugar and cinnamon drew her back to reality as someone held a large cup of coffee in front of her.

“Vanilla latte with nonfat milk and chocolate curls on top,” Razi said. “Just the way Sensei Mick said you like it.”

Smell

Who can’t relate to the scent of freshly mown grass or walking into a bakery only to be enticed by the scents of breads and sweets? If a scene is set in a coffee shop, which appears in most of my novels, have the character notice the scents of freshly ground and brewed coffees, the delicate bergamot-infused aroma of Earl Gray tea, the musky cologne emanating off the man in line behind them… You get the picture.

Scenes where a character walks into a room where dishes haven’t been washed for days and no one has changed the kitty litter in a week while rotting food sits on the counter evoke a different response. Particularly when the character stumbles across a dead body amid the debris.

Before long, the air in the martial arts school hung thick and humid with sweat. Thirty people warmed up in the school for their big fight debuts, a challenge for any air freshener on the market. To get rid of the stench, the entire staff would have to mop and disinfect every surface later.

Let's find out what the other authors have to say about the elements they include in their stories!

Connie Vines 
Skye Taylor 
Victoria Chatham 
Judith Copek 
Diane Bator 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Beverley Bateman 
Fiona McGier 
Rhobin L Courtright 

E. R. Yatscoff talks about The Rumrunner's Boy and Fire Dream

Welcome to E. R. Yatscoff, a fellow BWL Publishing author!

I had the pleasure of reviewing Edward's novel The Rumrunner's Boy, which was a finalist for Crime Writer's of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award...

The Rumrunner's Boy:

A great coming of age story set during the U.S. prohibition in the 1920s. The reader learns a lot of history while main character Jarrod has to deal with filling the shoes of his sick father while he grows up fast running rum on the waters of Lake Erie around Windsor and the Erie Islands. While there were spots that could have used a minor edit, I found the book to be a realistic view of what life was like for a young man in the 1920s. Lots of twists, turns, and action. I’d highly recommend for pre-teen/early teen readers.

Edward Yatscoff was born in the Niagara Peninsula and now resides Alberta, Canada.  He’s backpacked the world, visited five continents, and lived in Australia. From steelworker to assembly lines to construction work he finally settled down to a 32-year career as a firefighter. A few little gems from his life are playing drums in a Big Band, climbing the Great Wall of China, snorkeling beside a marlin, tried smuggling a Playboy into Communist Russia, egging an Aussie PM, meeting his wife on a freighter in the South China Sea, and survived the Grenada Revolution while on honeymoon.  Presently he manages a writer’s group, reads voraciously, does occasional renos, and reads profusely. He has written 11 novels YA, MG, and adult crime.  Among his notable awards are winner of the John Bilsland Non-Fiction Award and a Crime Writers of Canada Finalist.  Visit his website and read some short stories @  Yatscoffbooks.com  FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ER-Yatscoff-author-109271783903671/?modal=admin_todo_tour

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

My writers group says it’s my dialogue and action scenes.

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

I roll a chapter around in my head for some time before I commit it to the page. I usually try to write, or market, or edit a previous chapter

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

Instead of a Finalist in the annual Crime Writers of Canada competition I’d like to get in the win column. My next crime novel SERVICES RENDERED is looking good so far.  It has action, some pathos, suspense, and plenty of crime.

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

Join or start a writers group for feedback and NEVER submit a 1^st draft anywhere.  That’s two I know, but I couldn’t decide.

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

Telling me how much they enjoyed a character

  

FIRE DREAM

Book links: https://books2read.com/Fire-Dream

Fire Captain Gerry Ormond is launched to national prominence and receives a Medal of Valor. A visit to his hometown after a twenty-year absence unleashes a killer—a vengeful arsonist with ties to an old murder by three fraternity teenagers looking for a treasure. Gerry was one of them. Nick Modano, ex-frat president, now a drug dealer, is the only other participant alive involved in the old crime. Nick never forgets or forgives Gerry for running out on him that fateful night. Karen, his high school sweetheart, ignites a dangerous obsession. Her husband looks good for a recent unsolved arson/murder. Samantha ‘Sam’ Markham, a crack fire investigator, hounds Gerry at every turn. The almost forgotten past has risen from the ooze and taken on a life of its own. It’s a tightrope he walks in a town where old friends are now enemies.

THE RUMRUNNER'S BOY

https://books2read.com/The-Rumrunners-Boy

Jarrod Hooker, 17, steps in for his injured father on a rum running crew in Lake Erie during U.S. Prohibition. It’s a lucrative job they cannot afford to lose. Jarrod is resented by the rumrunners and they set out to undermine him. Carving out respect for himself among rough men might take more than he has. Ill winds begin to blow across the big water when money from a liquor shipment goes missing and the U.S. Coast Guard steps up smuggling patrols. Worse yet, an American gangster, a rogue from the notorious Detroit Purple Gang, tries to seize control of the operation, putting the Canadians in grave danger.

Whatever happens on the next run will change everything for everyone. Amid sabotage and bullets flying, Jarrod must put his trust in the most dangerous man he’s ever met. Although the watery border of Canada and Pelee Island lay only a few miles distant it may as well be a world away.

Eileen Charbonneau tells us about Seven Aprils and Mercies of the Fallen

 

Welcome to author Eileen Charbonneau! Enjoy!

Eileen Charbonneau’s unique viewpoint reflects heritage that includes immigrant Irish, French Canadian, Eastern European ancestors and Huron and Shoshone relatives. She enjoys exploring the perspectives of people often left out of history: its women, its immigrants, its marginalized poor. Eileen has published historical fiction for adults as well for young readers.

Eileen lives in the brave little state of Vermont and runs a small historic house B and B with her husband Ed. She adores him, her kids, and sweet grandchild Desmond. Eileen is addicted to American roots music and dance, and maple creemies.

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

I have a passion to tell the stories of the American experience from the point of view of the people I did not read about in my schools’ history books…the women, the poor, the immigrants, the Native Americans, the people of color, the ones who did not follow the prevailing winds, the ones who had the courage to effect change. I also know that I’m got going to get it right the first draft. I know how to accept help and do some mighty re-writes! It is a great compliment to hear from readers that my stories flow well…I work very hard for that.

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

That’s a difficult question for a writer to answer, because we’re always writing…everything we experience is grist for the mill. This can be unsettling for our near and dear and strangers alike! I am a four-square kind of writer, meaning that what works for me is to write every day. I started an early morning routine so I could get a couple of quiet hours before my little children woke up. I discovered through this necessity that I’m a lark writer: that’s the best time for me. In the afternoon, I do my research because historical writing needs a lot of it!

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

I hope I still have enough reader interest and publishing support to still be offering books then. But hey, I’m a cancer survivor…truth to tell, I’ll be happy to be alive and still making trouble in five years!

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

Enjoy the process. Work from your passion. It’s too hard a job not to feel both passion and joy. Embrace your supporters…readers, editors, publishers.  You’re creating a beautiful artifact together.

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

I’m deeply grateful for any joy my stories bring to readers.  Each reader brings her own life to a book and so it becomes different story for each. I feel honored to hear from readers and find out about them through their reactions to the work of my heart. That’s why I love to hear from readers. There are no bad compliments!

Was there a person who encouraged you to write?

There were many, but one was life-changing.  When I was 23, Diana C. Gleason taught a writing for publication adult-education class that I was dragged to by a friend. Diana was a wonderful teacher, full of nuts-and-bolts advice and encouragement. After the course she invited me to join her own weekly writers’ workshop. My life changed. I wanted to keep finding tools, teachers, sisters and brothers in story, and readers for my stories.

Eileen's young adult novels The Woods Family Trilogy is composed of The Ghosts of Stony Clove, In the Time of the Wolves, and Honor To the Hills.  The novels are set in the Catskill Mountains from 1809 through 1852.  Books in the series were chosen as a Best Book by the Children's Book Council for Social Studies curriculum and have won the Golden Medallion for excellence in young adult fiction.

The American Century Novel Series begins in Federal era Virginia in The Randolph Legacy, moving to the Trail of Tears and mid-century 19^th century history of the Great Hunger in Ireland and Manifest Destiny in the United States in Rachel LeMoyne. California’s early 20^th century conservation movement is the subject of Waltzing in Ragtime.  Books in this series have been nominated for Hearts of the West and Rita awards from Romance Writers of America.

Eileen’s Code Talker Chronicles suspense series follows the World War II exploits of Luke Kayenta, a Navajo Code Talker officer in the Office of Strategic Services and his fellow officer Kitty Charante, war widow and spy. The first two books are I’ll Be Seeing You and Watch Over Me, which has won a Chanticleer Award for Women’s fiction and been named a finalist in the Daphne duMaurier Award and Golden Leaf Award for Romantic Suspense.

American Civil War Brides series follows the lives of couples brought together by the most soul-searing conflict the United States has endured. The first of the series is Seven Aprils, the second Mercies of the Fallen.

SEVEN APRILS

In April 1860, Dr. Ryder Cole returns home from his studies, sure of his abilities and on fire to serve his country and preserve the Union. A panther attack threatens to cut his life short until a young woman with a rife and a sure-shot eye appears out of the mist. Then she disappears, re-turning as Tom Boyde, his comrade throughout America’s Civil War, and as Diana, met in a Washington D.C. whore house. The seven Aprils from 1860 to 1866 tell their tale of love and war, sex and friendship. And the price of crossing gender lines.

“Eileen Charbonneau pens an emotion-filled tale. Through her story of love, comradeship and struggle through the Civil War, Seven Aprils illuminates women's hidden role in history by a mas-ter at bringing the past to life. Not to be missed!”
Joanne Pence, USA Today bestselling author  

MERCIES OF THE FALLEN

Maryland plantation heiress Ursula Martin is content with her secluded life in a con-vent. Until the bloodiest day of the Civil War brings a downed soldier into her care.

Blinded Rowan Buckley only knows he’s in deep love with the woman who pulled him off the battlefield. His superiors claim she’s a spy. He knows she’s full of secrets, but he’s out to prove that treason is not one of them.

The two negotiate the crucial times of the Battle of Antietam, Gettysburg, and the New York City Draft Riots. Treachery meets them at every crossroad. Will their love survive?

“In the tradition of Willa Cather…Her women, especially, carry with them a dignity of purpose as inevitable as the story of abolition, civil war, enmity and love that flows through their lives.” Robert Crooke, author of American Family and The Chastened Heart

“At a time when our country was most divided, two lovers earn their happiness through a larger-than-life journey of sacrifice and pure grit. Rich in historical detail…”

Jenna Kernan, Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author of Winter Woman

websites:  https://bookswelove.net/charbonneau-eileen/

                 eileencharbonneau.com

twitter: @EileenC1988

Facebook: @EileenCharbonneauAuthor

Instagram: eileencharbonneau

email: eileencharbonneau@gmail.com

Blogs: http://manituwak.blogspot.com

           https://bwlauthors.blogspot.com