Monster Mash Countdown Day 11: Cas Peace

Cas lives in the lovely county of Hampshire, southern UK, where she was born. On leaving school she trained for two years before qualifying as horse-riding instructor. During this time she also learned to carriage-drive. She spent thirteen years in the British Civil Service before moving to Rome, Italy, where she and her husband, Dave, lived for three years. They enjoy returning whenever they can. Cas supports many animal charities and owns two rescue dogs. She has a large collection of cacti and loves gardening. She is also a folk singer/songwriter and is currently writing and recording nine folk-style songs to accompany each of her fantasy books. You can listen to and download all the songs from her website: www.caspeace.com

See the video of her performing live at the King’s Enjoy book launch here:

http://www.caspeace.com/cas-peace/the-wheel-will-turn

Find out more at her website: www.caspeace.com


Q&A With the Author:

3. What do you fear most?

I’m claustrophobic, so being trapped in a tiny dark space would be my worst ever fear. I don’t enjoy flying because of it, although I make myself do it. My second greatest fear is thunderstorms – I seem to be quite stupidly phobic about them, too!

4. What is your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it?

When I left school, my greatest desire was to be a top-notch horse rider and showjumper. Unfortunately, I don’t have very good balance, so although I’m a reasonable rider, I never made the grade to be top-notch. I got over the disappointment and now simply take pleasure in what riding I can do. I adore Frieisian horses and write about them in my books.

Connect with the Author here: 

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Pure evil resists all attempts to destroy it, seeking only its ultimate vengeance.
Three years have passed since Reen’s trial and exile and changes have occured at the Manor. Taran now resides in Loxton Castle as Elias’s Court Artesan, with Sullyan, General Blaine, and Colonel Vassa all making regular tours of guard duty there. Accused of corrupting her daughter Princess Seline, the disgraced former queen, Sofira, has been exiled to Bordenn, where she nurses a bitter heart. And a terrible scarecrow creature has taken roost in a dank cell below the palace of Lerric, Sofira’s father.
Word reaches Sullyan of Reen’s suicide. The lack of a body and a series of dreadful events in Port Loxton—a vicious murder, a brutal ambush, and a devastating fire—raise doubts in her mind. She launches an investigation, unsuspecting of the evil that’s about to be unleashed... 

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Snippet:

“Daughter, forgive me, but I must ask you again; are you sure, are you completely sure this is what you want? You haven’t seen him yet, you haven’t spoken with him. I have to tell you, he is not the man you remember, no matter what his letters suggested.”

Lerric was sitting with Sofira on the bed in her luxuriously appointed chamber, autumn sunlight streaming through the window. Its warmth helped alleviate the horror he still felt after his earlier meeting with the creature Sofira had begged him to save. The king held fast to his daughter’s hands, mainly to disguise the tremble of his own, but also to convey his intense unease. He looked earnestly into her hard gray eyes and willed her to hear his concern. Despite his fear, he was loath to reveal precisely what had taken roost in that fetid cell far beneath the palace floors.

Sofira stared back at him, hearing his care for her, seeing his distress. But it seemed she could not understand his concern, for her brittle eyes glazed with tears. “Don’t you want me to have back what was taken from me, Father?” Her colorless face was animated with hurt. “You know how unhappy I’ve been since I was forced to return here. You know how I ache for my children.”

Lerric nodded. “I know it’s been hard for you. At least at the castle Elias allowed you access to them—”

“Access?” Sofira snarled. “What use is access to me? Never allowed to be alone with them, never to take them out of my prison, never to walk in the park with them? He doled out time with them as if giving tidbits to a dog, and kept me kenneled like one, too. And I a Queen! How could you condone that?”

Lerric thought better of reminding his daughter she had ceased to be a queen when Elias dissolved their marriage. And in light of what she had done—misled by Reen or not, she couldn’t pretend ignorance of the risks she had run—Lerric considered her fortunate not to have suffered the death penalty. Not that he could tell her that, either.

He spoke soothingly. “I didn’t say I condoned it, daughter, and you know I never wanted to see you separated from Eadan and Seline. It’s just that . . . Sofira, are you absolutely convinced Hezra is sane?”

Sofira froze. She stared at her father, a biting retort on her lips. But then she realized he was only trying to protect her, clumsy though he was. She relaxed her spine and smiled.

“Oh, Father, of course I’m sure. Do you think I wouldn’t know if something had affected his mind? It’s a clever ruse, a ploy he’s devised to make them relax their vigilance. Didn’t you read his letters? Didn’t you feel the sincerity in his words, his deep desire to restore all I’ve lost? And don’t forget, my restoration will also benefit you. You’ll be more than recompensed for your trouble and the support you continue to give us. We’ll not forget you or Bordenn when I am once again Albia’s High Queen.”

Lerric doubted that. He had seen the light of fanaticism in the scarecrow’s eyes, the driving desire to control, the fervid lust for revenge at any cost. Reen might be willing to accept the title of consort for now, but Lerric would not bet much on him being happy with a supporting role for long, not once the reins of power were in his hands. Sofira was clearly already under his spell. He had cunningly charmed her from within his prison, writing her words of contrition, loyalty, and love. In her beleaguered state of angry, lonely sorrow, brought on by the conditions Elias had imposed on her, she had been easy prey.

Lerric shivered. Why should that word—prey—cause his heart to constrict? Why did it conjure images of ragged carrion birds feasting on a corpse?

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Monster Mash Countdown Day 10: Deb Atwood

Deb Atwood holds an MFA and lives in California with her husband and rescue dog Nala. Her time-slip novel Moonlight Dancer was selected as a front page Featured Review by Book Ideas. Deb's work has appeared in numerous anthologies. Her interests include ghost fiction, Korean culture, quilting, and, of course, reading.

Q&A With the Author:

What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

Like most people, I have suffered the loss of family members and other loved ones, but none of those losses required a decision on my part. The hardest decision I ever made was to euthanize my dog Emma. Emma had been with the family since she was eight weeks old. She had her flaws--she didn't particularly like most men, and she could be unfriendly with other dogs. Some dogs she liked, some she didn't. But she and I shared a sort of parent-child bond. If Emma was hungry or misbehaving, it was always my eye she sought first.

When she was ten, she had an attack of vertigo and nausea that landed her in the hospital for several days. She recovered, but the vertigo never left and was followed in the next couple of years by deafness, cloudy vision, incontinence, and finally, an inability to walk. I carried her, all 50 pounds. Had she been in intractable pain, the decision to euthanize would have been far easier. Emma did not feel pain. She just had no enjoyment of life. I knew the time was nearing, but I didn't know how to make the decision. Unfortunately, dogs can't talk. I had to balance her maximum chance at life with the quality of that life. It felt like an awesome responsibility, but then I rescue spiders.

At last I accepted that it was time, and we took Emma to a caring clinic where she experienced a peaceful death.

It was three years before I took on another dog. Now we have Nala, a rather naughty rescue Chow/German Shepherd. I continue to feel the bond of human to canine. The novel I've published, along with all the others in various stages of writing, features a dog. I'm currently writing a young adult book that contains a service dog.        

What do you fear most?

I fear earthquakes. Ha! The irony of it, you think…I live in California. True, but that’s where my family, friends, and business are located. Recently, my book group read Falling to Earth by Kate Southwood, a heart-wrenching novel about the worst tornado in US history, so I suppose if I lived in the Midwest, I’d fear tornadoes. One way I find tornadoes less scary than earthquakes, though, is that with tornadoes, you often have some warning. Earthquakes can attack you in your sleep. That’s the thing I try not to think about when I go to bed at night.   

Connect with the Author here: 

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"As readers of Deb Atwood’s blog Pen In Her Hand know, Atwood is passionate about ghost fiction. Since 2011, Atwood has read, re-read, and written about ghost literature. 31 Ghost Novels to Read Before You Die presents a selection of the best of these posts. 

Among the books discussed are old favorites (The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson) as well as some indie gems few people will know about (The 20’s Girl, the Ghost, and All That Jazz by June Kearns). There are ghost novels for every reader, in genres ranging from historical to literary to romance. "

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Snippet:

I had great fun dipping into The 20’s Girl, the Ghost, and All That Jazz by June Kearns. I loved reading about the main character Gerry draped in her Aunt Leonie 20’s designer fashions from Patou to Vionnet, embellished with guipure lace and tiny seed pearls, especially since the creations are ostentatious in Texas and outdated in England. Gerry often observes herself in social situations overdressed but outdated and with no alternative since she cannot afford to buy a stitch. Nor would she if she could, for she never feels closer to her aunt than when she is wearing her clothes.

This novel will interest people looking for a clean, no-sex romance and would make a fitting mother-daughter book club selection. The Girl, the Ghost, and All That Jazz is not a chilling novel that will send you scurrying to check the deadbolts. Instead, you’ll find yourself warmed by non-traditional family ties and the sparks that fly when romance, along with a high-spirited ghost, is in the air.

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Monster Mash Countdown Day 9: Nichole Giles

Nichole Giles, the author of DESCENDANT, BIRTHRIGHT, and WATER SO DEEP, has lived in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Texas. She is a huge fan of all things paranormal and magical. Her dreams include owning a garden full of fairies, riding a unicorn, and taming the pet dragon she adopted at a recent local ComiCon. His name is Zane. She also loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.


Q&A With the Author:

1.     What is your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it?

Since I have officially lived where I can see the ocean from my front porch, I suppose the true answer here is becoming a bestselling author. I continue to work on multiple projects which I hope might bring me closer to reaching that goal. It will happen someday, as long as I don’t quit trying.

2.     What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

Oh man, this could have so many different answers. I guess it depends on in what capacity. Watching my children suffer through serious medical traumas/illnesses/surgeries is at the top. Leaving our home and moving out of state mid-year while my kids were in high-school, while leaving our oldest behind. Also at the top. Leaving my daughter behind in Florida when she moved there for school. Learning to live with my husband’s high-risk occupation, knowing that every day could be the day he doesn’t come home to me. Burying each of my parents-in-law, years earlier than we should have had to. But right now? This month? Both of my daughters are getting married. Married! I can’t even fathom how I blinked and arrived her so quickly. Life changes so fast. We should never waste a single minute! Never. I am so happy for them, but it is also so very hard to know I’ll never have my little girls back the way I once did. We should have moved to Neverland when we had the chance.

I guess all things considered, writing books during all these things has been cake. J

Connect with the Author here: 

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After the chaos of Mexico, Abby and Kye have lost everything but each other. They’re on the run with no purpose, no allies, and very little money. To make things worse, Abby’s wound from the Arawn Dagger is draining her power, leaving her unable to access her Light, or her Healing ability.

While the hunt for her long-lost father takes them back through Abby’s childhood homes, they’re forced to question everything they’ve been taught and everyone they’ve ever trusted—including each other. After a desperate attempt to Heal Abby’s wound goes horribly awry, and with the demons they thought they’d lost hot on their heels, the star-crossed couple is forced to face some painful realities that will change life for everyone they know.

When Abby’s best friend is kidnapped by demons, Abby and Kye abandon their search and launch a rescue attempt that morphs into a battle, the outcome of which will determine if Abby and her friends have what it takes to rid the world of demons, or if the royal bloodline and the Gifted generation will be obliterated once and for all.

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Snippet:

I close my eyes, too exhausted, too confused to seriously think about anything right now. And the truth is that more than anything else, I need to be held. Our lives have been turned upside down and inside out. We’ve left behind everything and everyone we’ve ever loved except each other—and we have no idea when we’ll see any of them again—if ever. He’s all I have, and I’m all he has. Regardless of past hurts and mistakes and issues, we’re going to have to learn how to let go and depend on each other, regardless of whether we want to be together the way I once thought we would.

              We’re going to have to figure out how to trust each other again.

              My lack of response has him sighing as he stands. “I’m going to take a shower. Do you need to get in the bathroom first?”

              “No, go ahead.” I don’t move except to turn my head and watch him go. Everything about him screams misery—frustration. I know the cure for his frustration could probably come from me. But I don’t know how to give it to him. Not in my current state of mind.

              When he comes out twenty minutes later with wet hair, wearing his flannel pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, I’m still lying in the same spot. He pauses next to me, a bemused expression lighting his eyes. “It’s all yours. If you want it.”

              Sighing wearily, I stand, expecting him to move, but he doesn’t, and his position leaves us close. “Abby,” he murmurs. “Talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking. Please.”

              I shake my head, not because I don’t want to talk to him—I know, know, I need to. But I’m exhausted, and overwhelmed, and my brain is so full, I don’t even know where to start. His palm cups my cheek, and I lean into it, eyes closed. His relief is nearly palpable as we stand there, close enough to touch, and yet miles apart, because the contact of his skin on mine—even palm to cheek—still makes me quiver, heats my blood. And Kye feels it.

              Eventually, I cover his hand with mine and hold onto it as I step around him, keeping our fingers connected until I step into the already steamy bathroom and close the door. 

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Monster Mash Countdown Day 8: Marni Graff

Marni Graff had a successful career as a registered nurse who wrote on the side before writing full time. She has a degree in English Lit and studied Gothic Mystery at Oxford University in England. She also wrote articles for Mystery Review magazine, where she interviewed many of the authors whose work she admired.

Marni is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney Mysteries, set in England. The Blue Virgin introduces Nora, an American writer living in Oxford. The Green Remains and The Scarlet Wench trace Nora’s move to the Lake District where murder follows her.  In process is The Golden Hour, set in Bath, England. Premiering in the next few months will be Graff’s new Manhattan series, Death Unscripted, featuring nurse Trudy Genova, a medical consultant for a New York movie studio. This new series is based on Marni’s favorite nursing job in real life.

Marni is also co-author of Writing in a Changing World, a primer on writing groups and critique techniques. She writes crime book reviews at Auntie M Writes and is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, an author’s cooperative. A member of Sisters in Crime, Marni runs the NC Writers Read program in Belhaven which allows writers experience reading their work out loud and getting immediate feedback. 

Q&A With the Author:

3. What do you fear most? 

I am not a strong swimmer and have a fear of drowning, so don't feel comfortable in water over my head!

4. What is your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it? 

It had been to have a book in print and be recognized as an author; now I have four in print, award-winders in there, so I am blessed, lucky, fulfilled and happy in my second career.

Connect with the Author here: 

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The Blue Virgin (A Nora Tierney Mystery, #1)

Despite a planned move, the mysterious death of photographer Bryn Wallace keeps American writer Nora Tierney glued to Oxford in order to clear her close friend, artist Val Rogan, who has been wrongfully accused of Bryn's murder. Or has she?

Nora quickly becomes embroiled in the murder investigation, much to the dismay of two men: Detective Inspector Declan Barnes, the senior on the case; and Simon Ramsey, the illustrator of Nora's children's book. Simon's efforts to save Nora from herself become increasingly frantic as Nora is forced to push her way into Declan's case, using her wits and her wiles to prove Val's innocence.

The first in a series of Nora Tierney mysteries based in the UK, The Blue Virgin is a compelling story of love and intrigue. Nothing, Nora learns, is what it seems, and even the most innocent of choices can lead to murder and revenge. Set in the ancient city of golden spires, the setting lends itself to mystery, as any Inspector Morse fan will agree. The novel is written in classic English style, complete with a cast of characters and chapter epigraphs that add to its literary feel.

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Snippet:

   Declan knelt down beside the body and leaned closer to find the pendant that weighed it down the silver chain down, issuing his pen to gently withdraw the ornate silver charm.

    "Rodgers, get a snap of this thing, will you?" he asked the photographer, who appeared quickly and took several from different angles as Declan held it aloft. He dropped the pendant back inside the woman's shirt, pondering its significance. Was it a personal choice or had someone given it to her?

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Monster Mash Countdown Day 7: David Harris Lang

David Harris Lang, a current resident of Hong Kong, has lived and worked in Asia much of his life. Besides being a prolific author of Asian-based thrillers, he is an international architect who brings an indelible sense of place’ to his writing as well as a deep understanding of Asian cultures, locales, and customs. His vivid fight scenes come from a life-long practice of the martial arts. A Devil in Hong Kong is David Lang’s third book.

Q&A With the Author: 

Do you have any pets?

I have had dogs all my life. They are pure unconditional love. People should learn from dogs.

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not writing?

Exercise and eat (I am a bit of a foodie) mostly. Writing is my major spare time activity. I also love exploring Hong Kong where I currently live. It’s a fabulous city with a lot of strange corners.

Connect With the Author Here:

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On a snowy day in the year 889, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had an epiphany: he was not immortal. His jade carver created the most beautiful jade burial suit in history, finishing just three weeks before the Han Emperor died. When the priceless two-thousand-year-old jade burial suit suddenly goes missing in modern Hong Kong, a brutal competition to find it ensues between rival Chinese, Burmese, and Japanese factions. As they battle for the priceless artifact, a psychotic killer with a Maori tattoo on his face surfaces leaving a trail of dismembered corpses strung together like traditional Burmese puppets. Detectives Ian Hamilton and Angela Cheung follow a trail of hacked bodies and terror through contemporary Hong Kong in their search for the killer.

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Snippet:

The police boat pulled up to the dock at Snake Bay. Coroner Cindy Leung was waiting for them, slat-thin arms, her torso the circumference of a chopstick, thick glasses too large for her face. She kind of looks like a praying mantis from this angle, Ian thought, looking down on Cindy from the deck of the boat. Cindy waved to him.

“Hey, Cindy,” Ian said when he, Angela, and Nigel were on solid ground.

Cindy, instead of returning the salutation, immediately started up the path. “Follow me, Detectives. Hurry! I left him hanging for you, but I can’t wait to get him to my lab. This is the strangest one I have ever seen.”

“Ok, Cindy, we’re coming. Commissioner Gu said that the victim had been chopped up and wired back together,” Ian said as he tried to keep pace with Cindy.

“So strange! We would not cut him down until your team had a go at him, of course, so I got up on a ladder to inspect him. First thing that I noticed was that there was a separation of about a centimeter between his neck and body. I found a screw where the cervical spine had been sawed and another one in the neck vertebrae. A wire ran between the two screws, holding the parts together.”

“Aiyahh!” Angela explained as they came to the first gorilla. “This is bizarre!”

“Yeah, I can’t imagine why someone thought that these life-sized animals would be a good idea for a resort,” Cindy said, and then continued, “I also noticed that the rest of the body was hanging very strangely too, not like you would expect. I could not undress him until you are done with your inspection, so I felt around. He had been cut and wired back together in seventeen places. Each part also had another wire attached to it connected to the wood beam that he was hanging from. It was like he was a puppet! A human puppet!”

“How long had he been dead?” Nigel asked.

“Based on body decomposition I would say about four days. I will be able to give you a more accurate answer once I get him to the lab.”

They walked past the abandoned resort building and came upon the hanging corpse. Scientific Evidence Officers were examining the ground below the body. Ian walked up to the officer who seemed to be in charge.

“I am Ian Hamilton from CID. Do you have anything yet?”

“Calvin Chan, Senior SEO. Walk over here, I want to show you something.” Ian followed Calvin about twenty paces to a circular clearing surrounded by low bushes. The clearing, originally envisioned as a courtyard for the resort’s customers to sit, rest, and appreciate nature, had been paved with tan and grey pavers. A giraffe peered over the bushes from the surrounding jungle, its dead, glass eyes wide with curiosity as it gazed into the plaza at the human visitors. Nature had started to reclaim the space, weeds pushing up between the pavers. Benches, which had once been painted white but were now mostly rusted, had been placed around the perimeter. “This courtyard is where he was dissected,” Calvin said, pointing to the center of the circular plaza, stained with blood.

“I wish that giraffe could talk. He was probably the only witness,” Ian said.

“No, I don’t think so. This wasn’t the work of one guy. My guess is that there were three of them. Two different brands of cigarette butts, only a few days old, were on the ground by that bench. I picture one guy doing the carving while the other two watched.”

“It also would be hard for one guy to string him up, so that makes sense, Calvin,” Ian said.

“We’ll send our report to your department within three days,” Calvin said.

When they arrived back at the corpse Nigel was almost finished with his evidence collecting. When he was done he gave Cindy a nod and her team took the body down and placed it into a body bag on a gurney. “See you, Ian,” Cindy called out to him as her assistants pushed the gurney towards the dock.

Ian walked over to Angela, who was photographing the scene. “Make sure that the technicians take the piece of wood that he was hanging from too. There are some characters carved into it.”

Angela said, “Why would the guy be displayed in such a strange way, all chopped up and then wired together, out here in the middle of nowhere? Typically, a killing this gruesome would be to send a message to someone, Mess with me and this will happen to you. How often do people come out here, though, once or twice a year? No one is here to see it. Who was the audience?”

“I am afraid that the audience was the killer himself, Angela. We are dealing with one very sick individual, a guy who took pleasure in what he did, and we need to find him before he decides to entertain himself again,” Ian said.

Nigel said, “Did you see how meticulously the wires were wrapped around the screws? How clean the cuts were? He took his time. He took pride in his work.”

“Just like us,” Angela said.

“Like us?” Nigel asked.

“Our logo, We serve with pride and care.”

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