Touring Author of Murder on the Mullet Express, Sarah E. Glenn, Visits! Review Next...

Now on Sale

I Love a Good Poisoning…

In Fiction

By Sarah E. Glenn

When Gwen and I sat down to plot Murder on the Mullet Express, we had already chosen a method of murder: poison. Perhaps it would be better to say that I had already chosen the method of murder, because I am a poison enthusiast. I am no toxicologist or physician, nor am I a chef, which should bring you great relief. I just find poisons… interesting.

The choice of an interesting poison for a story can add to the enjoyment of the reader… at least this one. Agatha Christie, the grand dame of mystery, used her pharmacological experience to great effect in her tales. The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a special favorite of mine where poisoning is concerned.

Strychnine is a dramatic poison. The victim is seized with violent spasms and convulsions, and in the final stages the entire body bends backward in one huge arc. The risus sardonicus – the rictus grin on the dead victim’s face – also plays well in visual media. Most authors, Christie included, don’t become too graphic with their depictions, but Stephen King had no problem with describing it in Mr. Mercedes. Then again, it was Stephen King.

The poisoning at Styles rises above other tales of poisoning because of the clever method used to divert suspicion. Strychnine used to be used in tiny, tiny doses in tonics because of its stimulating qualities. The killer introduced a bromide into the mix, which caused the strychnine to precipitate to the bottom of the bottle – creating one awful dose that would be taken while the killer was conveniently busy at his (or her) alibi.

Arsenic poisoning, on the other hand, is best portrayed off-screen. The major symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea, which are rather off-putting. Arsenic is more interesting for its uses than its misuses. Arsenic seems to have been in everything before the authorities put a lockdown on it. It was used to harden metals (hello, lame blacksmith archetype), to improve health in tonics like Fowler’s Solution (I sense a pattern here), plus it made a dandy green wallpaper. You could even buy it in wafers to improve your complexion! There were also people referred to as ‘arsenic eaters’, who were reputed to have built a tolerance to (and even a need for) the poison.

Dorothy Sayers used arsenic eaters to great effect in Strong Poison, where a shared meal kills one man and not the other. Sharyn McCrumb flipped the idea over in If I’d Killed Him When I Met Him… when a wife kills her husband by not feeding him arsenic. I’ve admired McCrumb’s inventiveness since her story with the anthrax in the bagpipes.

Some authors invent interesting poisons on their own. Robin Cook, a physician known for his medical thrillers, developed a good one in Mortal Fear. A colleague of the hero is involved in research to learn why salmon die shortly after they spawn. His intent was to identify the ‘kill switch’ and develop an antidote which might then be used to prolong human life. Instead, someone takes the information about the ‘kill switch’ and uses it to murder patients who have become inconvenient. The method of introducing the poison is equally clever and drawn from Dr. Cook’s knowledge.

The poison I chose for Murder on the Mullet Express, savin, is less well-known but fitting to the story. Agatha Christie said that her stories stemmed from a ‘crime before the crime’, and ours does, too. Its primary use hints at that crime, and points to the motive of the killer.

~~~

Gwen Mayo is passionate about blending her loves of history and mystery fiction. She currently lives and writes in Safety Harbor, Florida, but grew up in a large Irish family in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. She is the author of the Nessa Donnelly Mysteries and co-author of the Old Crows stories with Sarah Glenn.

Her stories have appeared in A Whodunit Halloween, Decades of Dirt, Halloween Frights (Volume I), and several flash fiction collections. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, SinC Guppies, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, the Historical Novel Society, and the Florida Authors and Publishers Association.

Gwen has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Kentucky. Her most interesting job, though, was as a brakeman and railroad engineer from 1983 - 1987. She was one of the last engineers to be certified on steam locomotives. 

Website URL: http://www.gwenmayo.com

Blog URL: http://gwenmayo.blogspot.com/

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/Gwen-Mayo-119029591509479/

Twitter: @gwenmayo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwen-mayo-41175726

Skype: gwen.mayo

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4108648.Gwen_Mayo

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Gwen-Mayo

Sarah E. Glenn has a B.S. in Journalism, which is a great degree for the dilettante she is. Later on, she did a stint as a graduate student in classical languages. She didn’t get the degree, but she’s great with crosswords. Her most interesting job was working the reports desk for the police department in Lexington, Kentucky, where she learned that criminals really are dumb.

Her great-great aunt served as a nurse in WWI, and was injured by poison gas during the fighting. A hundred years later, this would inspire Sarah to write stories Aunt Dess would probably not approve of. 

Website URL: http://www.sarahglenn.com

Blog URL: http://saraheglenn.blogspot.com/

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/Sarah-E-Glenn-177315008966709/

Twitter: @SarahEGlenn and @MAHLLC

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-glenn-216765b

Skype: sarah.glenn63

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4710143.Sarah_E_Glenn

Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-E.-Glenn/e/B004P3MI2Q

Hosting Pepper O'Neal's Blog Tour for Dead Men Don't!

DOSSIER: Name: Levi Komakov

Occupation: Troubleshooter/McKenzie Crime Family – length of time in position: 4 years

Physical Description: 31 years of age, 6’1”, 190 lbs., black hair, blue eyes.

Training, Education & Experience: Joined British Army right out of secondary school at the age of 16, served three years before being selected for the SAS. Served five years in the SAS. Emigrated to US upon leaving the SAS, joined CIA as outside consultant/freelance operative. Expert marksman, sniper training, high marks in survival training and hand-to-hand combat, eighth-degree black-belt, Karate &Jujitsu. Languages spoken: English, Farsi, Spanish, German, Russian, French.

How Others Describe Subject: Komakov is quiet, unassuming, and deadly. Rarely makes mistakes. Friends and associates like and respect him, enemies fear him. Prefers to work alone, but also makes a good team member, although not especially patient with rookies. He has a high code of ethics and a legendary temper he rarely loses control of. He detests violence but will use it when necessary against criminals and thugs. Will not use deadly force except in defense of others and/or himself, however, he has no sympathy for terrorists, kidnappers, rapists, or murders. He is realistic, pragmatic, and a genius at improvisation when it comes to removing obstacles that hinder his mission.

DOSSIER: Name: Anderson Elaine Merritt (Goes by Andi)

Occupation: Computer hacker, daughter of wealthy crime family underboss.

Physical Description: 25 years of age, 5’8”, 125 lbs., red hair, amber eyes.

Training, Education & Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in computer science. Languages spoken: English.

How Others Describe Subject: Merritt is strikingly beautiful, intelligent, stubborn, sheltered, and considered a handful by her family and peers. Subject is sweet, innocent, generous, affectionate, warm, loving, and unpredictable. Tired of being used, she is determined to fight back. Tends to be optimistic, if a little insecure due to her father's wealth and position in the McKenzie Crime Family. Character Profiles Found and much more at Author Website!

Award-winning author, Pepper O’Neal is a researcher, a writer, and an adrenalin junkie. She has a doctorate in education and spent several years in Mexico and the Caribbean working as researcher for an educational resource firm based out of Mexico City. During that time, she met and befriended many adventurers like herself, including former CIA officers and members of organized crime. Her fiction is heavily influenced by the stories they shared with her, as well her own experiences abroad.

O’Neal attributes both her love of adventure and her compulsion to write fiction to her Irish and Cherokee ancestors. When she’s not at her computer, she spends her time taking long walks in the forests near her home or playing with her three cats. And of course, planning the next adventure.

NOTE: This is the best novel I've read on human trafficking... Not an easy topic but very well done... To share about this novel, I've added my review to my adult blog in order to capture some of the important, but surprising details for your consideration. Please click over NOW!

http://gabixlerpersonalopinion.blogspot.com/2015/03/dead-men-dont-by-pepper-oneal-sexy.html

Welcome to Anne Louise O'Connell on Blog Tour for Deep Deceit! Out Today!

In celebration of International Women’s day, on March 8, 2015, (and my birthday, LOL) award-winning, Canadian author, Anne Louise O’Connell officially launches her latest novel, Deep Deceit, which one reviewer calls ‘gripping’ and ‘masterful’. It also begins her Blog Tour! Welcome Anne!

“I’ve now started a tradition of launching my novels on the same day,” said O’Connell. “Since my main characters are women and the plots are typically driven by the emotional development of these women, along with thematic issues that predominantly impact women, International Women’s Day seemed like a good choice.”

Other underlying themes in the book also resonate with a female readership, such as domestic abuse and oppression. Some sensitive mental health issues come into play as well as the protagonist faces bouts of depression, and her abusive husband lashes out as he fights against the demons of post-traumatic stress.

“The author's portrayal of the complexities of emotional damage is insightful and she demonstrates that nothing comes from nothing, and we are all vulnerable when it comes to our mental health,” said Jae De Wylde, author, The Thinking Tank and Sleeping People Lie. “O'Connell cleverly combines the thrill of the chase with intense psychological elements, as her characters unravel under the pressure of events beyond their control.”

A sneak peek into Deep Deceit:

When Celeste Parker’s daughter Tamara goes missing in Dubai the all-out search and rescue mission she anticipates never materializes. Put off by the police as 18-year-old Tamara is technically an adult, and no foul play is apparent, Celeste has a gut feeling something is terribly wrong. New to the city and with her husband away working in Saudi Arabia, Celeste turns to her new friend and fellow expat, Susan Morris, for help. The duo set off on a hunt, which takes them down a dark alley of deep deceit. From exotic nightclubs and high-class call girls to mysterious Saudi palaces hidden behind ominous walls, they follow each lead while uncovering the unthinkable. As they come closer to finding Tamara, the secrets Celeste and Susan uncover threaten not only her daughter's life but everyone in their families’ as well.

Deep Deceit will be available on Amazon in both print and on Kindle. The Kindle version will be available through KDP Select for free on March 9th and 10th. Pre-orders are available now at http://amzn.to/1zZrxEU.

O’Connell’s debut novel, Mental Pause, was a 2013 Independent Publishers Book Award winner. If you haven't read it yet, click over to read my review!

To learn more about the author visit www.anne-oconnell.com. Interact with her on social media at www.facebook.com/annethewriter, www.twitter.com/annethewriter, and at www.goodreads.com/annethewriter.

~~~

Deep Deceit

By Anne Louise O'Connell

Sweat mingled with sunscreen and sand,
streaming into Susan's eyes, almost
blinding her. Her arms shook and she
didn't know how much more she could
take.
"Come on girls... give me 10 more or no
water break!" screamed the burly Neand-
erthal Susan nicknamed "The Sadist'.
She looked over at the latest newcomer
whose face glowed a brilliant shade of
crimson and who, after each push-up,
fell flat on her belly, and Susan felt
sorry for her. She'd introduce herself
and take her for a cold one once this
evening's desert boot camp finished.
~~~

When I first saw the front cover and the back blurb, also excerpted above, I was afraid that the story line would be dark. Let me quickly say not only is it not, but the plot was totally unexpected and wrapped up so well that I was immediately caught by and held by the female lead characters. Have fun with this one!

Celeste Parker had been beaten down by one man after another, assuming that she was the one who was unable to deal with issues, and often in depression...

World's Largest Mall in Dubai...
This was Susan's second round at boot camp. The
only thing that kept her coming back was that it helped
her shed what everyone called the 'Dubai stone',
a whopping 14 pounds. She had gained it since
moving to the most glamorous place on earth, with
lots of temptation and not too much work...She'd
started 'boot camp' after she caught a glimpse of her
widening rear-end in a shop window reflecting back
at her in all its calorie-induced glory...
~~~

Until she met Susan Morris, a psychiatric nurse, who was not working at this time. Both are expats living in Dubai. Both husbands out of town... Celeste's daughter was sleeping over at a friend's home... So when Susan introduced herself to Celeste, she quickly accepted her invitation to go for a drink. Hours later she realized that she was so relieved to have a friend to talk to!

Long's Bar, Dubai...
"You don't know how nice it is to finally have someone to talk to," Celeste put her hand on Susan's arm. "I've been so busy getting Tamara settled. It's been particularly difficult for her...as a teenager it's tough to change schools and it's her last year of high school. I'm so focused on the transition I haven't had time to do anything for myself, which I know is important but there are only so many hours in a day..."

It was after midnight when they left there and both knew they had met someone who could become a close friend. That was especially important for Celeste since her daughter was giving her the typical teenage frustration, especially now that she was 18 and considered an adult...

Which became very important when it was discovered she was missing! The last Celeste had seen her was when they had decided upon their new place to live, been bullied by somebody following them who had even hit them from behind, only then to have Tamara grab a cab to head out to meet her friend, leaving her mother to deal with everything alone.

It was no wonder that she started thinking about the past...when her first husband had disappeared, when his partner made an overture and she had responded and when, she discovered she was pregnant, they were married.
Had she made a mistake? Because there were times when Ryan, her husband, could be so cruel... Even when she called him to let him know Tamara was missing, he told her she'd just have to deal with it...

I was feeling the same way that Susan was when Celeste told her what he'd said. "What a loser!, right?"

Susan was obviously concerned about Celeste, but she also felt excited for herself--she was a mystery lover and was dying to help Celeste work to find Tamara, especially when the police showed no real interest in helping find her.
And then they were able to discover that Tamara's passport had been used, heading for Saudi!

Tamara opened her eyes and blinked hard to clear the blurry images floating around her like the shadows of zombies coming out of the mist. She closed them again and her hand floated up, almost disembodied, to her throbbing temple. This was worse than a hangover... and she hadn't even drunk very much. Not tha she could remember anyways... Jeez, what was in that last drink? She pulled the covers up over her head not wanting to face the day yet. She couldn't remember how she got home and vaguely remembered an Arab gentleman approaching her in the club and said he recognized her from when she lived in Saudi and knew her father. Everything after that was a blur.

The sweet smell of lavender wafted from the sheets and poked at her subconscious. That was odd. Her mother never used lavender-scented anything because it reminded her of when her first husband had proposed to her in a garden in South Africa. Tamara slowly lowered the sheets and peeked out. These weren't her sheets and this wasn't her room...it wasn't Heidi's either...

She would have to make herself known to the rest of the household and face the music! The situation would have been funny if only her head didn't hurt so much. Bravely, she stroke across the room, reached for the doorknob and turned. The door was locked. She shook the knob and pulled again. Nothing. How strange...She could feel the start of a nervous quiver squirreling around in the pit of her stomach...

~~~

The suspense is high. the threat real, the deceit unbelievable! Susan proves to be very good at leading an investigation. In fact, she will soon be having her own series according to the author. Great! 

The novel takes readers deep into the culture and family relationships of Saudi Arabia, including attending a royal wedding, which had the theme of the Great Gatsby! With the men and women having separate parties so the women could remove their outer clothes. For, of course, the requirement for females to be totally covered when outside. Apparently, it is quite different when the high fashion and bling they wear appears inside! I enjoyed this very much!

More than a cozy mystery with its drama and suspense, the relationship between Susan and Celeste is such a great addition to the novel, as Susan helps Celeste gain her independence. Watching Celeste's mental well-being change, until she helps create the dramatic ending, was worth reading the whole book, and that's a special bonus. I enjoyed this fantastic, unique story! Well done! I believe you can get a bargain on the 9 and 10th...so do check this one out immediately! And Enjoy!

GABixlerReviews

Guest Post from Touring Author Sheila Deeth Celebrating Divide by Zero!

Hi Everybody!

I self-published some children’s stories a while ago. I read and re-read, edited and re-edited them over and over before I let them loose on the unsuspecting world. Then I found I’d written Gad instead of God in the middle of one.

My new novel, Divide by Zero, was just released by Stonegarden.net. Luckily I didn’t have to edit that all on my own. My words were handed over to a wonderful writer and editor, Shirley Ann Howard—since I’d already read and enjoyed several of her books I could hardly believe my good fortune. She taught me lots of things about editing and I suddenly realized, there’s a reason I’ve always enjoyed polishing a nice clean smooth wooden table—it’s like polishing a manuscript; it’s making words and wood shine.

Now I’m editing Vampires of Rome for Peter Joseph Swanson, another author I really admire, and I’m learning even more. So here are my first rules for editing a novel:

1. Don’t expect to do everything at once.
2.   Familiarize yourself with the voice and the story in your first pass. Read like a reader and take note of where you skim, where you’re confused, where the wording conjures entirely the wrong image, and where you’re itching to change something. Track changes and write lots of comments. What color is her hair? What year did they meet? Does he always speak so very formally?
3.    On the second pass look for answers to your questions and make the changes you skipped the first time through. If you started switching “he is” to “he’s” in chapter five, you’ll want to do it more often near the start. If something was confusing, find another way to say it. Try cutting down your long sentences, removing “that,” changing “he was walking” to “he walked,” deleting extraneous “but” “and” “however” etc.
4.    The third pass is a good place for some more global edits. Look for every use of “that” and see which you want to keep. Look for “was” “were” “and” and more. Look for “as if” and see if you want “as if it was” or “as if it were.” Look for likely misspellings of your characters’ names, and anything else that came up once too often in the earlier passes.
5.   And now, just to confuse things, change your font. I recommend Garamond. Those semi-colons will suddenly stand out. The italics look different—did you really want the quote marks italicized too, and the punctuation (probably not)? Even the shape of the paragraphs changes and you get to ask if this sentence belongs on the end of one or the beginning of the next.
6.   And now—yes, there’s still another pass—now read your file with much larger text on the screen. How did that word get to be only half italicized? How did did you manage not to see that repeated “did”? And those commas—why did you use so many in that sentence.
7.   That last pass shouldn’t have changed very much so now you stop. You really hope you haven’t left any mistakes but just know that you have. It’s life. Seven for God’s perfect plan and humanity’s perfect imperfection!

Shirley Ann Howard taught me well. Thank you Shirley! But even then, the “final” version of Divide by Zero, emailed in a beautifully formatted pdf file by my publisher, had the classic statement “She picked up a diaper for the baby provided by the church.” Luckily the publisher allowed a few more “final” edits. The church is now providing diapers, not babies, and Divide by Zero is wending its way to the stores.

~~~

About Divide by Zero:

It takes a subdivision to raise a child, and a wealth of threads to weave a tapestry, until one breaks.

Troy, the garage mechanic’s son, loves Lydia, the rich man’s daughter. Amethyst has a remarkable cat and Andrea a curious accent. Old Abigail knows more than anyone else but doesn’t speak. And in Paradise Park a middle-aged man keeps watch while autistic Amelia keeps getting lost.

Pastor Bill, at the church of Paradise, tries to mend people. Peter mends cars. But when that fraying thread gives way it might take a child to raise the subdivision—or to mend it.

 

About the author:

Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK and has a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States near Portland Oregon, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories and meeting her neighbors' dogs on the green.

Divide by Zero is available from:

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Divide-Zero-Sheila-Deeth/dp/1600763405/, http://www.amazon.com/Divide-by-Zero-ebook/dp/B0090NFH56/

Amazon.co.uk 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divide-Zero-Sheila-Deeth/dp/1600763405/, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divide-by-Zero-ebook/dp/B0090NFH56/

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/divide-by-zero-sheila-deeth/1112782597

Powellshttp://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781600763403-0

Waterstoneshttp://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/sheila+deeth/divide+by+zero/9420931/

And more.

Sheila can be found on her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com

Find her books at http://www.sheiladeethbooks.com

Or connect with her on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sheila.deeth, http://www.facebook.com/SheilaDeethAuthor

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sheila-deeth/17/21b/3b9

Gather: http://smd.gather.com/

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2853735.Sheila_Deeth

Blogger: http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheiladeeth

Etc.

Julia Madeleine's Shares on Blog Tour!

Scarlet rose. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Writers Are Such Thieves

Fiction writers can be like Dr. Frankenstein when it comes to creating characters. Although not exactly grave robbers, we find the bits and pieces we need in the people we know; friends, relatives and even strangers. We might take their childhood memories, the stories about their grandmother, their first love, their first broken heart We will steal their mannerisms, the way they laugh, that striking raise of an eyebrow, that special little tilt of their head they aren’t even aware that they do, and amalgamate them with our imagination. Secrets told in confidence can even work their way into our stories, such thieves we are, us fiction writers. At least, that's how it usually works for me.

Then it all gets sifted through the imagination and molded into a new person that becomes a character. These new imaginary people take their first delicate steps across the page, and as the chapters progress, they will grow into their own individual people, doing and saying things that surprise even their creator. Sometimes these new characters, these Frankenstein monsters we construct, even take over the story. This is precisely what happened in my new psychological thriller, The Truth About Scarlet Rose.

Originally Scarlet Rose, the washed-up burlesque queen from the 1960s, was a secondary character, a mere supporting cast member. But her personality became so huge, and she demanded so much attention, that she somehow managed to bully her way into becoming the main character of the story, even going so far as to get her name in the title.

Scarlet Rose, who’s real name is Sylvia, is based on a friend’s mother from when I was a teen. My friend “Debbie” at the tender age of fourteen was responsible for the care of her two younger sisters and brother. Her mother was a single parent supporting her family on social assistance and went out to the bar with her girlfriends nearly every night. She was a stereotype. Often she’d come home angry and drunk and scream at Debbie like a drill sergeant. She was a tyrant and Debbie feared her. Yet she was desperate to please her mother and win her love and approval which always seemed to elude her. It was this mother and daughter dynamic that fascinated me. The perversion of the parent-child relationship, that I found so curious in my friend’s relationship with her mother, plays out in my novel between Scarlet Rose and her daughter. Scarlet has my friend’s mother’s beautiful red hair, her dark piercing eyes that can shred you to pieces, reduce your very being to tatters with a single look. She has elements from other people too. Like how she throws back her head and releases her throaty booming laugh. I stole that from my sister-in-law. Her scoliosis, the result from a crushed disc in her spine from being hit by a car at age five, was taken from an ex-coworker.

Plenty of bits and pieces of other people went into the creation of the monster that Scarlet Rose is in the story. When her black little heart began to beat, dripping it's venom all over the page, like the narcissistic psychopath that she is, she went and stole the entire story.

“Let us not forget that the greatest composers were also the greatest thieves. They stole from everyone and everywhere.” - Pablo Casals

Review of Prequel, Scarlet Sins, by Julia Madeleine!

Scarlet rose. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scarlet Sins


By Julia Madeleine




Sometimes a character makes such an impact on readers that they want to know more--How did this individual get to the place in life they are when we meet her. Julia Madeleine, in writing The Truth About Scarlet Rose, found herself in that situation. Even before her novel came out, early readers started talking about the main character Scarlet Rose, and asking questions. I have to admit I read the novel first, simply because the book came in and I tend to pick up hard copies first--yes, I enjoy "real" books better than ebooks...anyway...

By the time I read Scarlet Sins, which is only 22 pages, I had Scarlet Rose already figured out...Let's face it, sometimes a beautiful rose is just that, it is there to be admired, to be beautiful. When that happens to some women, or men, they decide to take advantage of that beauty. Or, perhaps, like everybody else...a rose is not a rose is not a rose--sometimes they are sociopaths...

I highly recommend you read the Prequel first. Some of you may have read Julia's short stories on my blog this month as she is being spotlighted, and have found that she can pack her plot into a few effectively chosen words. Whether or not you choose to read Scarlet Sins, you will find Scarlet Rose a fascinating creation.

Note: In Scarlet Sins, we meet the "remarkably beautiful queen of the burlesque scene in 1960s Toronto." In the novel, she is no longer dancing on the burlesque, she is married with adult children..

Sylvia was her real name and she knew there was something wrong with her, even to the point that she realized that she could not totally blame it on her family. Was it their bad blood or just hers? But even she recognized that she could not blame any part of the murder on them...

Her first bad decision was to get pregnant. She thought the boy would marry her and take her away from her life. But he had refused! Even insulting her by saying that when he did get married, he would want a virgin! She was 16, pregnant, and already with 2 years of having to deal with scoliosis...She was learning the hard lessons early in her life...

She had gone to an unwed mothers home, but when they moved to take her baby from her, she had taken Fiona and ran. Sylvia decided never to tell Fiona about the bad family life she had left. She got a waitress job at a local club, but even with tips, she was not making it. She looked toward the girls on the stage, seduced and fascinated by the power they had just by using their bodies. It didn't take long for an enterprising man to see that desire and suggested she enter an amateur striptease contest...and that was the beginning...

For awhile she was a much-in-demand star...

But then she met a petty thief, Charlie and it was only a matter of time before her life started going downhill...

Perhaps this short story could stand on its own, but I wouldn't recommend you get it, unless you enjoy short stories. The prequel takes you exactly where it is meant to...to the beginning of the novel. If you are the type of person who, upon hearing about somebody who has killed others, and have said, "I always thought he was nice--a quiet individual, then you will definitely want to read Scarlet Sins and get to know the background life of the main character, Scarlet Rose, before you begin to...hate her...


GABixlerReviews

Julia Madeleine is the youngest daughter of Irish immigrant parents from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Born in Canada and raised in a small town in south-western Ontario on the shores of Lake Huron, Julia honed her dual passions for art and fiction writing from the time she was old enough to hold a crayon. As a teenager she moved to Toronto and graduated in Media Writing from Sheridan College. She wrote for a number of entertainment magazines, while spending all her free time writing fiction, and then in 2000, her passion for art led her, quite by accident, into a career in the tattoo industry.

“I wasn’t looking to become a tattoo artist, it actually found me. Since I was a teenager my focus has been on writing fiction, art was something that always came naturally to me, I never had to work for it. And it never occurred to me that I could make a career out of it until one day I found myself without a job and the opportunity to learn to tattoo came to me via my husband, a professional tattooist.”

Home for Julia is Mississauga, where she lives with her husband and teenaged (future tattoo artist) daughter. For a year she lived in the country on a 30-acre property in the middle of nowhere, which became the inspiration for earlier novel, No One To Hear You Scream. When not writing or sticking needles into people, Julia enjoys cooking, sewing, yoga, meditation, health and fitness, gardening, and anything that doesn't involve snow or sports or rollercoasters. Julia loves shoes and harbours a secret fantasy-career as a shoe designer. She’s also obsessed with true crime shows and researching ways to kill people which makes her husband nervous.


Related articles

• The Books of Julia Madeleine...
• Julia Madeleine Shares Short Story - Unexpected Guest...

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2012/04/tesla-still-looking-flash-fiction-by.html 

Reminder: Julia Madeleine will visit Book Reader's Heaven tomorrow, May 16th, during her Blog Tour! Hurry Back!

June M. Selected Randomly for Giveaway at Book Reader's Heaven!

Congratulations!

June M has won the Follow the Mortal Path Giveaway provided by Author Dakota Banks. June has been notified and acknowledged:

Hi June!

You’re the randomly selected winner of the Mortal Path Swag Bag plus the $25 Amazon gift certificate based on your comment on Book Reader’s Heaven (http://dbanks.me/bkrdrhvn)dated April 17^th...Congratulations!

Best,

Dakota

dakota-banks.com

Hi Dakota,

Thank you so much! I am very interested in reading this series, they look great.... Thank you and congrats again on the release!

~June

http://www.blogger.com/profile/14929817630779731177



Thanks Again to Dakota Banks for her wonderful gift...but we also had a great discussion with over 250 individuals stopping by~Way Cool, right?!!!


Really appreciated all the participants in the discussion contest as well!


I learned a little more about Internet Services too...Did you know there are sites that will allow you to randomly select? I didn't, so am passing on that Dakota used Random.Org to make this selection!     

Spotlighted Author Julia Madeleine Starts Her Blog Tour....

Reblogged!


April 16th: Cafe of Dreams - book review
April 18th: Life In Review - book review
April 19th: Daz's Place - interview
April 23: Psycho Noir - interview
April 26th: Crime Fiction Lover - book review
April 27th: Jersey Girl Book Reviews - book review and guest post
April 30th/May1st: Musings of an All-purpose Monkey - book review and guest post
May 1st: Chin Wag At The Slaughterhouse - interview
May 4nd: Limerence Magazine - book review
May 7th: Lynnette's Book World - book review
May 10th: The Eclectic Reader - book review and book giveaway 
May 12th: Booksie's Blog - book review
May 14th: The Road To Here - book review
May 14th: Let’s Book It - book review 
May 15th: Book Junkie - book review
May 16th: Book Reader's Heaven - book review and guest post
May 21st/May 22nd: Colloquium - book review and guest post
May 28th: My Life In Stories - book review, guest post, and ebook giveaway
Unscheduled Apperences: Ginger Nuts of Horror - book review
I Meant To Read That - book review
Dead End Follies - book review

Author’s Bio:

Julia Madeleine is a thriller writer and tattoo artist living in the Toronto area with her husband and teenaged (future tattooist) daughter. For a year she lived in the country on a 30-acre property in the middle of nowhere which became the inspiration for her novel, No One To Hear You Scream. Find out more about her books at www.juliamadeleine.com


Reviews of Prequel and The Truth About Scarlet Rose will appear here at BRH on May 16th...