Category: Books

Parts Unknown: An Alaskan Mystery by Toni Niesen

Written Dreams

Mystery

Toni Niesen makes her debut into the mystery field with Parts Unknown.

 

Somewhere over the Alaskan wilderness a plane has disappeared.

As winter approaches Anchorage, flight instructor Beri Quinn races to find a student who took off in one of her planes, and hasn’t been seen since. She’s convinced he’s still alive despite the Civil Air Patrol calling off their search. She strives to locate the missing pilot, save her reputation as a flight instructor and keep her business. But both in the air and on land, she must overcome gathering forces conspiring against her.

A single mother, Quinn fears losing custody of her son. She draws on her knowledge of aviation and musters the emotional strength necessary to overcome unseen adversaries and protect her family. With missing gold, sabotaged aircraft and unsolved murder, the stakes are high for Quinn and for her enemies.

To resolve her dilemma, Beri must answer one underlying question: did her student misjudge the weather and make a fatal mistake, or was he the victim of an elaborate murder plot? In her quest for an answer, she discovers unexpected betrayal and a massive criminal conspiracy. Told with suspense, humor, and a fighting spirit, this is a mystery for anyone who has ever dreamed of adventure in Alaska.

 

About the Author:

Toni Niesen lived in Alaska for twenty-four years. She worked in public health in Anchorage, and lived the life of a pilot vicariously through the exploits of her husband and friends. She is the author of short stories, three of which were published in Desert Sleuth anthologies. Parts Unknown is her debut novel. She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband, grandson, and Boston Terrier, Sushi. To learn more about Toni Niesen and her books, visit writtendreams.com.

 

Poetry and Ponderings: A Journey of Abuse and Healing Through Poetry by Diamante Lavendar

Written Dreams

 From Award-winning author of Breaking the Silence, Diamante Lavendar!

A raw collection of religious poetry and prose based on one Christian woman’s experiences of being abused, and how she healed herself with God’s love in order to move past the assaults.

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In this rare collection of nonfiction Christian poetry and prose based on real life experiences, Diamante Lavendar, a victim of abuse, shows the reader the raw emotions of pain, hate, and denial that occur before a victim of abuse can find a way to heal from the pains of assault. Knowing herself the very difficult journey of being a victim, Diamante was abused as a child, and turned to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain. Many years later, she started to heal under God’s watchful eyes and was able to find love in her life again. She shares these truly inspiring, religious poems in the hopes that it may help other victims heal their hurts, as she did while writing the poetry collection.

About the Author: Diamante Lavendar has been in love with reading since she was a child. Diamante believes that everyone should try to leave their own positive mark on the world, and to make it a better place for all. Writing is her way of leaving her mark—one story at a time. She began writing in college and has published poetry in anthologies over the years. Most of her writing is very personal and stems from her own experiences, and those of her family and friends. She writes to encourage hope and possibility to those who read her stories. To learn more about Diamante Lavendar and her books, please visit her website at: www.diamantelavendar.com.

 

Freewheel: #HonoluluLaw, #FamousTriathlete, & a #Charity by Katharine M. Nohr

Written Dreams 2 Comments

Legal Mystery

Book 2 in the Tri-Angles Triathlete Mystery Series

Freewheel takes readers for a spin in the real world of personal injury litigation, where the drama takes place outside the courtroom.

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Olympic gold medalist, Ryan Peterson can’t seem to get a break. He was ousted from professional cycling for doping. After he switched sports to triathlon, he was blasted by the tabloid press for allegedly causing an accident that wiped out his competitors. In an effort to redeem himself, Ryan starts the Freewheel Movement to help homeless and isolated people financially and emotionally. Although Freewheel is an instant success and Ryan becomes a television talk show regular, his bad luck continues. He’s sued for allegedly causing the death of a competitor in a Hawaii triathlon, and no matter what he does, he can’t convince the beautiful claims adjuster, Alexia Moore, to go out with him.

Young and ambitious new attorney Zana West is hired to represent Ryan and provide him a defense in the lawsuit, but by doing so, her relationship with Jerry Hirano, T.V. star of “Fighting in Paradise,” is threatened. Will Zana be able to help Ryan get his life back, and keep her relationship together?

 

 

 

Katharine M. Nohr Photo Copyright by Katharine M. Nohr.
Katharine M. Nohr
Photo Copyright by Katharine M. Nohr.

Katharine M. Nohr is the author of Managing Risk in Sport and Recreation: The Essential Guide for Loss Prevention (Human Kinetics, 2009) and Land Sharks (Written Dreams Publishing, 2016), and is a frequent international speaker on Olympic Games, professional athlete and triathlon risk management. She is a principal in Nohr Sports Risk Management, LLC, which offers career longevity/reputation risk management coaching for professional athletes. A former District Court (per diem) Judge, she continues her work as an insurance defense attorney, practicing law in Hawaii. During her free time, Katharine swims, travels and writes. Freewheel is her second novel in the Tri-Angles series. To learn more about Katharine or her books, visit her website at katharinenohr.com, or find her on Facebook at KatharineMNohr, on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

 

 

Death Nosh: A Noshes Up North Culinary Mystery by Mary Grace Murphy

Written Dreams

Cozy Culinary Mystery

Someone is sneaking into houses, committing murders, and escaping without a trace. How can Nell convince the police chief to take her theory seriously?

 

People are dying in the pleasant community of Bayshore, Wisconsin. The police think it’s the normal passing of senior citizens. But Nell Bailey, food blogger and restaurant reviewer, has a different opinion.

Surrounded by mouthwatering meals, Nell struggles with her weight as she visits restaurants, and blogs about their delectable dishes. She strives to conquer her stress-eating as the death count rises.

To further complicate her life, Sam, her gentleman friend, isn’t acting very gentlemanly. His plans for the two of them don’t include Nell investigating any more murders. Can she hold her own against two men, Sam Ryan and Chief Vance, who are so accustomed to doing things their way?

 

 

Mary Grace Murphy mystery author

Author Bio: Mary Grace Murphy’s penchant for reading has been a delight, both personally and professionally. She not only devoured books on her own, but encouraged her students to find their own joy of reading during her thirty-four years as a middle school teacher. Another thread running through Mary Grace’s life has been her quest for intriguing eating establishments and interesting recipes. Solving mysteries and discovering scrumptious food set Mary Grace on the path to create her culinary mystery series, Noshes Up North.

Mary Grace resides in Oconto, Wisconsin, a community not unlike her fictional town of Bayshore, where she appreciates the varied food and events which symbolize Northeast Wisconsin.

Sorceress Resurrected: A Clio Boru Novel by Evan Michael Martin

Written Dreams

Horror/Dark Fantasy Fiction

With their only hope in a coma, John and Roger must save the town from an evil force, but can they stop it without the assistance of Clio’s natural gifts?

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In the small, quiet town of Lake Melts, Wisconsin, three friends suffer a tragedy when Clio Boru is hospitalized and is comatose after a terrible accident.

As Clio lies powerless in a hospital bed, her mind in another realm, Old Native American superstitions arise in Lake Melts. Deputy John Slocum, beside himself with worry over Clio’s condition, has to find a murderer when two boys turn up dead. But, his inner fears surface—John’s depression and being heartbroken, hoping for a miracle for Clio makes it difficult to cope.

That leaves Roger Marquette as Lake Melts’ only hope of finding the truth. While Roger Marquette researches and attempts to fill the void created by Clio’s absence, he is limited by what he can do.

Meanwhile, Ancient Rites, complete with an influential family history of heroes from another time, force Clio to travel to different places far beyond her unconscious imagination.

Clio lingers far away, as Roger tries to figure out exactly what this unseen otherworldly danger is and how to keep it from the town. But lurking in the dark, a more horrific, sinister evil waits its chance to finally destroy Clio and all she and her friends hold dear. Will Clio be strong enough to resurrect herself before all is lost?

About the Author:

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Evan Michael Martin has lived a life on the fringes of the occult and supernatural.  Stories of ghosts, shadow people and gypsy curses fill the maternal side of his family, from Northeast Wisconsin to France, Poland, and Ireland. His travels have taken him to many sites where he experienced firsthand ghosts and the unexplained.

Sorceress Resurrected is the third book in the Clio Boru Series. He currently lives in Northeast Wisconsin. Visit his website at EvanMMartin.com.

Detours: A Memoir of a Railroad Man by Gail F. Meintzer

Written Dreams


Men’s Memoir

Learn about Gail F. Meintzer’s philosophies from lessons learned the hard way, as he took the long road less traveled on the iron highway.

 

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Travel with Gail F. Meintzer as he journeys with the railroad system from Deerfield, Illinois to Milwaukee, Wisconsin across the plains to Seattle, Washington before he heads to Des Moines, Minneapolis, and the Windy City. Then one more destination, as he finally settles in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

As a clerk-typist, he made a name for himself in the Field Artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, placing second in the Oklahoma City Times Bowling tournament, and then leading his regiments’ bowling team in winning the Fort Sill Bowling Championship. Drafted in 1944 into the U.S. Army during World War II, he was one of the lucky ones and didn’t see battle.

In 1947, he married the love of his life, Neva, and they had five children together. To care for his family, Gail F. Meintzer worked for the railroad for 42 years, retiring as Director, Intermodal Sales for the Milwaukee Road in 1985.

His adventures weren’t over as he and his wife traveled to visit their children and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. A U.S. Army Veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Gail F. Meintzer shares his story as a die-hard railroader for the first time in Detours: A Memoir of a Railroad Man.

 

Author Bio: Gail F. Meintzer started working for the railroad system before he was drafted into the U.S. Army for World War II, and he served again during the Korean War. Married to Neva Jewell in 1947, they had five children together. He retired as Director, Intermodal Sales from Milwaukee Road in 1985. Today they have 13 grandchildren and 9 great grandchild. They celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary on June 21st, 2016. To contact Mr. Meintzer, please visit www.writtendreams.com and send an email through our Contact Us page.

LUMBERJACK JESUS: How to Develop Faith Despite Pitfalls, Roadblocks, Stupidity, and Prejudice by Bruce Kirkpatrick

Written Dreams

Christian Men’s Memoir

 Insightful and uplifting, Lumberjack Jesus reminds us all that we need and deserve unconditional love.

In a series of essays written in memoir form, Bruce Kirkpatrick shows us a God who is loving, a good conversationalist, and often looks like a lumberjack. God comes alive in these pages in everyday life—in stories about Vietnam heroes, cowboy movies, wrestling matches and chemistry sets.

Bruce Kirkpatrick discovered that as he was consumed by anger, shame and guilt—quite literally dying on the inside—Jesus came to him, looking like a lumberjack, in a red plaid shirt and a short-cropped beard. Even as he pushed Jesus far away and with such belligerence that reconciliation seemed impossible, Jesus was always there.

Bruce learned the love of Jesus is not just for caring Christians who never falter or fail at life. If Jesus can love and accept an uncaring, self-centered, lustful dope like Bruce, he can do the same for you. Nobody is beyond his reach or his hand.

In a unique and introspective style, these stories will help you see faith in almost every circumstance in your life.

 

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Bruce Kirkpatrick spent over 30 years in Silicon Valley as an executive and entrepreneur. Since his move to Southern California, he now divides his time between writing and serving on nonprofit boards of directors, including Christian Education Development Company and Extollo International. His nonprofit work includes helping to train Haitian men and women in employable skills, so that they can find jobs, feed their families and have hope for the future. His first novel, Hard Left, was published in 2007. He is currently working on his next novel. To learn more, visit Bruce’s website at: BKirkpatrick.com.

LAND SHARKS: #Honolulu Law, #Triathletes, & a #TVStar by Katharine M. Nohr

Written Dreams

 

Legal Mystery

 

“Katharine Nohr’s brilliant debut has it all: smart characters, crisp dialogue, a breathtaking setting, and an ingenious plot that will keep you turning the pages until sunrise.”
-Doug Corleone, Author of Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Equation
 
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Land Sharks, a May 2016 Release from Written Dreams Publishing

LAND SHARKS takes readers on a swim through the murky waters of Honolulu law, a spin through the competitive world of triathlon, and a sprint through the set of a Hawaii TV show.

Young attorney, Zana West, is assigned the perfect case for a triathlete—a lawsuit filed by Brad Jordan, a man who claims he was paralyzed during the Honolulu Olympic triathlon trials. As an added bonus, Zana’s television crush, Jerry Hirano, the star of “Fighting in Paradise” by night and attorney-by-day playboy, represents another defendant in the case. Jerry insists upon date-like evenings with her to discuss the investigation.

Clues mount up, but Jordan’s attorney, Rip Mansfield, a shark in an attorney’s suit, takes every opportunity to harass Zana. To make matters worse, she’s always one mistake away from being fired and she’s stuck working with her boss’s mini-me, Lucas Rossi, who would rather play video games than help with pre-trial discovery. Will Zana be able to figure out the truth before the case goes to trial?

 

 

 

To listen to an interview with Katharine M. Nohr, click here:

 

Katharine M. Nohr Photo Copyright by Katharine M. Nohr.
Katharine M. Nohr
Photo Copyright by Katharine M. Nohr.

 

Katharine M. Nohr is the author of Managing Risk in Sport and Recreation: The Essential Guide for Loss Prevention (Human Kinetics, 2009) and is a frequent international speaker on Olympic Games, professional athlete and triathlon risk management. She is a principal in Nohr Sports Risk Management, LLC, which offers career longevity/reputation risk management coaching for professional athletes. A former District Court (per diem) Judge, she continues her work as an insurance defense attorney, practicing law in Hawaii. During her free time, Katharine swims, travels and writes. Visit her website at: katharinenohr.com

WOMEN OF TODAY: LOVE, LIFE, FAMILY The Journeys and Stories of Six Strong Women Edited by Brittiany Koren

Written Dreams

Women’s Fiction/Romance Boxset

 

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WOMEN OF TODAY is a collection of six women’s fiction/romance full-length novels edited by Brittiany Koren. The novels include strong female characters who face diversity and must look within to find their own strength to overcome their challenges, and possibly find romance along the way.

Greta’s Grace by Virginia McCullough:

Lindsey Foster longs to heal her emotionally distant relationship with her daughter, Greta, an accomplished landscape photographer in Door County, Wisconsin. But Lindsey’s priorities change quickly when Greta is diagnosed with cancer and the whole family is forced to examine old and complex issues. Nothing is certain, except that everything is bound to change, including the way Lindsey looks at love.

Quilts Galore by Gini Athey:

Two years after the death of her husband, professional quilter Marianna Spencer makes the brash decision to buy a quilt shop in the nearby small town of Wolf Creek. She and step-daughter, Rachel, and Rachel’s baby, Thomas, forge a new life in the tight-knit community. And there’s an attractive jeweler next door that tilts her world.

It’s Never Too Late by Donna MacQuigg:

Recently divorced attorney, Kathryn Sheldon, has sworn off men and chosen instead to leave Baltimore to follow a nearly forgotten dream of running a quaint bed and breakfast in Taos, NM. A chance encounter with a handsome half-Navajo, half-Caucasian truck driver, John Hawkins makes her doubt her decision about the opposite sex, but she’s a determined woman and it will take an equally determined man to change her mind.

Love’s Perfect Surrender by Chiara Talluto:

Love’s Perfect Surrender is about a troubled married couple with flawed expectations, and an imperfect, beautiful child with congenital limb deficiency who teaches them to surrender so they can mend their broken union.

If Truth Be Told by Lynda Fitzgerald:

Christie O’Kelly’s journey toward understanding the precious balance between truth and compassion is the heart of Lynda Fitzgerald’s novel, If Truth Be Told. Set in Melbourne Beach, Florida, If Truth Be Told begins with teenage Christie gaining a second mother in her uncle’s wife. She also gains a new cousin, and this new family is going to turn her world upside down. As the years pass, what she learns challenges her beliefs about life and those she loves, and requires the most difficult evaluation of truth, compassion and forgiveness that Christie has ever faced.

Better Than Dessert by Casey Clifford:

When dessert no longer interests her and cleaning closets wins over answering her phone, recent widow Katy Krueger knows she’s in trouble. But how does she handle her heart wanting and needing to be in two places…

The WOMEN OF TODAY collection includes heart-warming, family-oriented women’s fiction novels about women who must listen to their heart in order to move forward with their life decisions that can and will change their lives. The editor, Brittiany Koren, and the authors, all hope you enjoy this wonderful women’s fiction novel anthology. WOMEN OF TODAY is Brittiany Koren’s seventh anthology she has compiled.

 

Writer’s Wednesday: An Interview with the Edgar and Stoker Nominated Author, Billie Sue Mosiman

Written Dreams

I first discovered Billie Sue and her writing in the mid 90s about a year before she edited the anthology, Never Shake a Family Tree. It is with great pleasure to have her as our guest today. Please help me welcome her to The Editing Essentials!

Billie Sue Mosiman is an Edgar and Stoker Nominated author of  more than 50 e-books. She published 13 novels with New York major publishers and recently published BANISHED, her latest novel. She’s the author of at least 150 published short stories that were in various magazines and anthologies. Her latest stories will be in BETTER WEIRD edited by Paul F. Olson from Cemetery Dance, a tribute anthology to David Silva, a story in the anthology ALLEGORIES OF THE TAROT edited by Annetta Ribken, and another story in William Cook’s FRESH FEAR. She’s an active member of HWA and International Thriller Writers. She’s working on a new novel of suspense titled THE GREY MATTER. You can visit her at: The Peculiar Life of a Writer http://www.peculiarwriter.blogspot.com, or at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billie.s.mosiman or on Twitter: @billiemosiman or at Billie Sue’s Amazon Page.

WD: Does your family support your writing career, and if so, have they always?

BM: Yes, my husband has always supported me in my career. Before I sold a novel, all my other women friends had a job and I was at home, writing. I’m sure they thought I was being lazy because didn’t everyone work? My husband continued supporting the family and believing in me until I got my first contract. My daughters were raised with a writer so they understood what I was doing (I probably lectured them enough about how important Mama’s work was!). They tried hard not to interrupt me when I was at the typewriter and the computer.

WD: Does anybody in your family write because of your influence on them?

BM: No. My daughters are creative in various ways, but they haven’t been writing.

WD: What inspired you to begin writing?

BM: I can’t imagine. Since I wanted to be a writer from the time I was thirteen, I can’t say what inspired me. I think it was because I was raised around Southern storytellers who sat around telling one another tales, but it could also be because, or in addition to, my love of reading books.

WD: What author or authors influenced your own style?

 

BM: There were several. John D. MacDonald, Jim Thompson, Phillip K. Dick, Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and a whole raft of mystery and suspense popular writers during the 70s and 80s.

WD: What is your own process for getting a manuscript complete? Any habits? How do you stay focused?

BM: I believe in dedication and discipline. I was under contract from year to year so I had novels to turn in and expected of me. I would write every day five days a week and take weekends off to devote to my family. That kind of schedule became a routine. I stay focused by reading over what I’ve written the day before and falling into the page, falling into the story so that I can see it in my head and can write the next scene or chapter.

WD: What are your thoughts on how the industry is radically changing to benefit the author? How do you see the industry changing for the better or worse?

BM: With digital books it’s changed almost completely. Writers in my early years of course sent their paper manuscripts in manuscript boxes to New York publishing houses or agents. Today writers can simply upload them to a digital online bookstore. I think the industry has changed for the better in giving the author more control and it’s changed for the worse in making people believe their work is ready to be “published” digitally when it isn’t, or when as writers they really have some way to go to be professional writers. I expect it will all shake out eventually, but the transition might be rocky.

WD: If you could give one tip to a new writer, what would it be?

BM: Write like it means something to you, like storytelling is your life’s goal and you want to tell the best stories anyone ever told. Try to write in a humane way, with heart, and hope to touch people. Write with nerve, take risks, try to do what hasn’t been done or do what has been done better. Lastly, get an editor. Your prose probably isn’t as polished as you think it is.

 

Thank you, Billie Sue, for being with us today! If you’d like to leave a comment or question for Billie Sue, we will be happy to pass it on to her.