BlindSpot thriller by Maggie Smith

 

BlindSpot
Maggie Smith
May 21, 2024
Puzzle Box Press, 320 pp
$4.99 Ebook
$18.95 Print

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About the Book:

Every move she makes, someone’s watching.

From the author of the award-winning Truth and Other Lies comes a gripping suspense novel about an ambitious prosecutor on the hunt for her sadistic stalker . . . only to be framed for murder when he turns up dead. 

Rachel Matthews is used to stress—from the cutthroat world of the district attorney’s office to her escalating clashes with her teenage daughter. So when a stranger sends a lavish bouquet with a macabre message and leaves a disturbing video on her doorstep, she’s quick to act. Teaming up with an old classmate turned private investigator, she wades through old case files, searching for someone harboring a grudge. But before she has time to pinpoint a suspect, her stalker issues a demand—he wants money, lots of it, or he’ll hurt her daughter. 

Desperate to protect her child, Rachel agrees but soon finds herself fleeing a bloody crime scene, fearful for her life. Suddenly she’s in the crosshairs of a dangerous and clever enemy, someone who’s manipulated her since Day One, someone who knows her long-buried secrets, someone who’s framing her for murder. Can she solve the puzzle of who wants to destroy her and beat them at their own game before she’s convicted of murder?

Fans of Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent,  Julie Clark’s The Lies I Tell and Heather Chavez’ Before She Finds Me will embrace this taut tale of long-simmering revenge right up to its surprising and twisty climax.

A Brief Interview with the Author

What do you love about your book? It’s a solid psychological suspense which is fast-paced and has lots of twists and turns but at the same time, the central characters of the mother and her daughter have a lot in common with literary/book club fiction. The two plot lines intersect in interesting ways and I like the character arc that my protagonist goes through.

Share something you learned while writing it. I write best when I have an outline (for me, it’s the Save the Cat Method). It saves me time and seems to result in a more cohesive story. Also, that I can’t write stick figures – I always find myself digging into their psyches. I’m an ex-psychologist and I guess my training always comes to the surface. Some suspense books I read have quite wooden, almost caricatures for their “cast” but that’s just not me. Also, that interesting coincidences will occur as you write that seem to be “magic” and greatly add to the story, yet are nothing you planned out ahead of time.

What do you hope readers will talk about? I hope readers will be delighted in the ending – that they will be surprised but also satisfied when they know the whole story. And I’d like them to think about both how much women are at risk for violence and how sometimes the criminal justice system lets us down.

What are you reading now? I read a lot in this suspense genre and the husband-and-wife team of Nicci French is one of my favorites. I just finished their newest one, set in Britain, called Has Anyone Seen Caroline Salter? And I would also recommend Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister. And I’m looking forward to reading Christi Clancy’s new book out early next year called The Snow Birds.

What's next for you? I’m working on my third novel tentatively called All In The Family. It’s the story of a family torn apart when the youngest daughter and her new husband are kidnapped on their honeymoon and held for ransom and her wealthy step-mother, who’s in the midst of divorcing the girl’s father, is put in an untenable situation.

About the Author:

In a career that’s included work as a journalist, a psychologist, and the founder of a national art
consulting company, Maggie Smith added novelist to her resume with the publication of her debut, Truth and Other Lies, a women’s fiction novel set in Chicago and released in March 2022 by Ten16 Press. It won NIEA’s Juror Grand Prize, the Star Award for Debut Fiction from Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Foreword INDIES Gold Metal for General Fiction, and was selected for the Women’s Book Association Great Group Reads. Her second novel, a psychological suspense called Blindspot, releases in May 2024.

In addition to her writing, Maggie hosts the weekly podcast Hear Us Roar (225+ episodes), blogs monthly for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and is Managing Editor for Chicago Writer’s Association Write City E-Zine.  She resides in Milwaukee WI with her husband and her aging but still adorable sheltie. Find more at: https://maggiesmithwriter.com/

Witty short science fiction with Allison Wall

 

FOOTNOTES ON A SPACE OPERA: a musical first encounter short story
By Allison Wall, alumna of Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat, Inc.
 
Short Science Fiction
19 pp.
Published September 6, 2021
Available on Amazon .99 
 
About the Story
When aliens land on Earth, opera—one of Western culture's greatest but most polarizing musical traditions—becomes our planet's greatest interstellar export.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets Arrival on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.
Told from the distant future, this short story imagines a reality in which aliens are opera fans, the representative of the human race is a retired coloratura soprano, and classical music is the ticket to the stars. What could possibly go wrong?

Author and classically trained soprano Allison Wall fuses her love of opera with dry humor in this innovative story that will have readers laughing out loud.
 
My Review
Dry wit and clever contemplation combine to deliver an excellent little story about badly handled introductions and the poignant devastation of passing fancies.
 
Wall’s musicality renders her story of operatic domination in full, universal acclaim. A first-page footnote on the word Destiny: “humanity would rather not explain, we assign responsibility to Destiny rather than face complex or uncomfortable truths,” sets the tone and pace for this short and cautionary tale of fascination and determination to possess what one does not have.
 
Footnotes are the key to understanding much of what happens in this alien encounter adventure. Wall chose the terms to explore in footnotes of the text and worded their explanations in a rich and colorful manner while keeping perfect sotto voce as the unseen narrator until the end. Recommended for those who appreciate short stories, find opera colorful, and laugh at Murphy’s Law.
 
About the Author
Allison Wall is an American writer. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University and has published short fiction and personal essays and book reviews.

Allison is trained as a classical singer and pianist, and she works as a music teacher, dissertation editor, and academic tutor.

In the general chaos of 2020, Allison found out she is neurodivergent (autism, ADHD). She is passionate about sharing her experiences, advocating for empathy, and contributing to a world in which neurodiversities are seen on an inclusive spectrum of brain differences, not pathologized as illnesses. To that end, she runs NEURODIVERSION, a monthly newsletter that centers neurodiverse news, research, and current events.
 
Connect with Allison on her website, or on Twitter, @awritingwall.

New guests at 6th Novel in progress Bookcamp 2019

NIP prepares for 6th annual camp May 2019 

Our sixth annual Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat residential programs will be held May 19-25, 2019, once again at the lovely Cedar Valley Center in southeast Wisconsin. It’s time to fulfill that commitment and take your work-in-progress to the next level.

Here’s what’s going on for the next Bookcamp workshop and the Writing Retreat:

Guest Speakers Ready for 2019 NIP

We will have another great cast of characters at our next Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat, May 19-25, 2019, two concurrent residential programs for writers.

Joining our core instructional staff, SJ Rozan, Lisa Lickel, and Phil Martin, we’ve got an exceptional list of guest speakers lined up.

Literary Agents Return

Returning are friends Jennie Goloboy, literary agent with the Donald Maass literary Agency, and Laura Zats, literary agent with Red Sofa Literary. They will be leading workshop presentations, joining our annual state of the publishing industry panel discussion, providing insight at our Thursday night Slush Pile Read, and hearing pitches Friday afternoon. 

Midnight Ink Editor 

Joining Jennie and Laura will be Terri Bischoff, acquiring editor at Midnight Ink Publishing, which specializes in mysteries and thrillers. Terri enjoyed her first stay with us last May so much she was eager to join us again in 2019. 

Indie Authors Present 

We’re also excited to announce that author and writing instructor Kristin Oakley with accomplished Indie authors Nicolette Pierce and Melissa Haag will be coming to the 2019 NIP to share their knowledge and expertise. They will conduct a panel discussion on self-publishing and provide a workshop on using the Internet to promote yourself as an author. 

Author Nicolette Pierce has published more than sixteen romantic suspense and mystery novels. As an award-winning self-published author, she loves a challenge and is set to rapid-release five new books. She attributes her success to the indie movement and always keeping up to date with the latest marketing trends. 

“If not in the midst of writing, you will find me setting up ads on multiple platforms including Amazon, Bookbub, and Facebook,” she said. Nicolette is a member of the Romance Writers of America. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and son. 

Award-winning author Melissa Haag writes Paranormal and Fantasy Romance from her home in Wisconsin under two pen names (Melissa Haag and M.J. Haag). She self-publishing her first title in 2013 and, so far, has 30 titles, selling more than a million copies, earning six figures a year since 2015. Melissa has expanded into audio books and has a foreign rights agent. Her books will be translated into three languages by the end of 2019, one series is already in Portuguese. 

“I love to talk about self-publishing—maybe a little too much!” Melissa said. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way to learn a few handy dos and don’ts of self-publishing (I cringe when I think of my first book cover!) and am passionate about discussing my mistakes so no one else has to feel that pain.” 

A University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Continuing Studies adjunct writing instructor, Kristin Oakley’s debut novel, Carpe Diem, Illinois, won the 2014 Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award for non-traditionally published fiction, was a finalist in the Independent Author Network 2015 Book of the Year, and a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition. Its sequel, God on Mayhem Street, was released in 2016. Currently working on a young adult dystopian trilogy, Kristin is a Chicago Writers Association board member, managing editor of The Write City Magazine and The Write City Review, and past president and a co-founder of In Print Professional Writers’ Organization. 

Registration info

Check out our website for application instructions and prices. Or contact Director Dave Rank, dave@novelbookcamp.com, 262-717-5154. Early registrants can take advantage of our installment payment plan.

Tying the Scot debut historical romance by Jennifer Trethewey

Tying the Scot

Jennifer Trethewey

Historical Romance

Series

c. November 2017

Entangled Amara

Ebook $3.99

Print – coming soon

Audible

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About the Book:

At age eleven, Alex Sinclair pledges an oath to the Duke of Chatham promising to serve and protect his illegitimate daughter, Lucy FitzHarris. Nine years later, the duke unexpectedly takes Alex up on his vow, offering the future Laird of Balforss his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Now a man, hotheaded Alex has difficulty convincing Lucy—who would rather starve to death than marry a vulgar Scot—to go through with the arranged marriage. Once Lucy arrives in Scotland, she cannot resist the magic of Balforss or the allure of her handsome Highland warrior. But when Alex seemingly betrays Lucy right before their wedding, she is tricked into running away. Alex must rein in his temper to rescue his lady from unforeseen danger and Lucy must swallow her pride if she hopes to wed the Highlander she has come to love.

My review:

Charming and delightful debut novel, wonderfully done. As described, it’s a marriage meant to be in the best interest of all parties—the illegitimate daughter of a Duke will never be accepted in London society, so is given to her father’s good friend and business partner’s son. Unfortunately, Lucy must travel north, away from everything she’s loved and known. Fortunately, Alex has grown up into a fine man. Lucy learns quickly there is much to love about Balforss, Alex’s home, and Alex, too—temper, playfulness, loyalty. Never having had a mother, she quickly takes to Alex’s family and their ways, and just when she’s decided that marriage better come fast before she and Alex get carried away, her past catches up to her.

I must say, with all the hype anticipating this book I was prepared for a bedroom romp, but the story is far from it. Sure, there’s sensual tension, but nothing out of the ordinary, and leads up to a highly anticipated wedding night. Well done, well crafted story to avoid being another cliché romance.

Told in multiple viewpoints from several characters, the author’s first book in the series shows adept, organic handling of customs, language and historical events without banging the reader over the head with brogue or unusual, unexplained practices or words. Some language. Tender and tough in all the right places. Recommended for those who enjoy Scottish or otherwise early nineteenth century historical romance and intrigue.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Jennifer Trethewey and I write about men in kilts because, hey, what’s not to love about a man in a kilt? I was lucky enough to travel to Scotland twice. I have fallen in love with the Highlands and all things Scottish: the people, their language, cuisine, customs, idioms, humor, history, intense sense of pride, and, most of all, the land—the perfect setting for sweeping romantic tales of love, strife, and glory. As they say, Scotland is pure dead brilliant!

I’m an actress, former co-artistic director of a professional theater company, and my husband and I operate an improv comedy club. I live with my comedian husband in the Midwest where I’ve been ever since college.

I write both contemporary and historical fiction full time. I like to read romance, mystery, fantasy, and paranormal, as well as literary fiction and non-fiction. I love movies and music and dogs and good wine and I love to enjoy them all with my friends.