Series Nos./Thumbnails

Hi, fellow readers and writers. I've seen a lot of help asked for by avid readers like me, to find the first and other numbers of novels in a series so we can read them in order (I like to do that too :-) So here goes: The Title; No.; and a thumbnail

The Maryvale series:
THE DEVIL IN MARYVALE (1)
A stunning homicide in the small town of Maryvale sends Sheriff Cas Larkin on an investigation from a trailer park on the industrial side of town to the Pine County Coutry Club uncovering the town's darkest secrets; a secret club at the high school which smacks of devil worship; and he is also plagued with cattle rustling and mutilation. Fighting lack of evidence and the Pine County Judge with only circumstantial evidence and his gut feeling, Cas sets a trap for the killer in their midst.

THE NELSON SCANDAL (2)
Sherif Cas Larkin has two homicides on his hands which may be connected and his wife Connie, runs into classic 'haunting' conditions in the Pine County Library basement. Cas and his matchmaking wife follow hot clues and cold trails to investigate four homicides, two of them over a hundred years old.

RECIPE FOR TROUBLE (3)
Pine County's only celebrity, Mattie Carrington is writing another cookbook rumored to be even more popular than her first. However, before she's got a good start, her kitchen blows up and she decides to find privacy to work at a cabin on the lake near Maryvale which involves more delay and comic interest in the Present Too Often form of Mattie's younger sister, Katie's boyfriend, Eugene. When mattie finally is settled in to work, someone poisons her and the whole thing is beginning to look like a recipe for trouble. As Mattie lies in a coma, it's up to Cas to find the culprit and save Mattie in spite of friends and relatives all trying to help.

MARDI GRAS MURDER (4)
Sheriff Cas Larkin and his matchmaking wife, Connie, and even his Aunt Harry, have their hands full with Cas's case involving a stranger drowned in the lake; a disappearance no one is willing to admit is a disappearance; and a Maryvale citizen accused of homicide way down yonder in New Orleans! They wade through old politician's secrets, a witch's interfering mother, and alligators to get at the truth. C'mon in, the entertainment's fine...

AN UNPOPULAR CORPSE (5)
When Hannah, Asst. Librarian of the Pine County Library tries to get her morning paper the door is blocked by the legs of a strange and quite dead man. When Sheriff Cas Larkin finally gets his idenity and other personal information the question that comes to mind along with 'who done it?' is why didn't they do it sooner - the man was very unpopular and no one really wants to talk about him or why he was dumped on Hannah's porch. In spite of his interest in a young woman of which Cas does not approve, Coroner Cliff helps him untangle clues that just don't seem to go together or solve any part of what happened. The plot twists will keep you turning pages to a surprising and unexpected climax.

MAGGIE AND JOE series:
DEAD ON ARRIVAL (1)
Maggie Murphy's husband Horace's motorcycle accident leaves her a widow at twenty-four. Broke, and the cosmetic ads say your skin starts drying out at twenty-five, Maggie wastes no time on self pity. She gets a part-time job which turns into full time when she finds the mutilated body of the journalist she was hired to replace. On top of other financial and emotional problems there is an instant attraction between Maggie and Joe Driver, the handsome policeman sent to investigate the murder. He helps her get more information on Horace's accident and the relationship between them heats up as Maggie's Aunt Myrtle keeps a sharp eye on Maggie's social life. With characters like: a co-worker named Fatima (AKA Queen Esther Johnson); Evil Elvira, a former slave who claims to be over a hundred years old; and friends at the paper, it's a merry southern romp with love, laughs, the MPD, the FBI all trying to find out 'who all done what?'

THE SNAFUED SNATCH (2)
When two young hoodlums are disappointed at the take from robbing convenience stores, they decide to try kidnapping and search the papers for information on local businessmen. They decide to kidnap Grace Hanover, Maggie's cousin and boss's wife and ask for a hundred thousand in small bills which they think will be low enough so he will just pay and not involve the police. They plan the kidnapping for Halloween night and everything goes well except for one little glitch. There is a party going on and they get the wrong woman. They snatch Maggie, Hank's cousin instead of Grace. With Maggie chloroformed, bound hand and foot in their van they call Hank at his Halloween party and tell them they have his wife and the figure they have in mind is only hundred thousand dollars in small bills. Hank, full of good bourbon and looking at his wife across the room laughs at them. He says the way Grace spends money and credit he can't possible take her back for a mere hundred grand and hangs up on them! Waking during the last part of the conversation Maggie smiles to herself at the difference between her and Joe's bank balance and a hundred thousand dollars. This is followed by panic as she wonders if Joe is looking for her; if he even knows she's gone; and what's going to happen to her when these two idiots find out she's not Grace?

There's an insurance series with two so far: ONCE BURNED (1) AND VARMINT (2)
AND MORE'S COMIN'

Happy reading, break's over,
Jackie

$2.99 Novels @Kindle!

Right now I'm 'in up to my ankles and in head first' in the writing/publishing business. It's exciting and I've even got a couple of new covers on my new Kindle books. My e-books are all $2.99 with a few for even less so everyone who wants a wide choice of novels will have a good choice. The newest ones are Mardi Gras Murder; An Unpopular Corpse; and Good and Dead. Check them out and do leave a comment when you visit here.

I love meeting new readers and writers.
Break's over :-)
Jackie

BacklistEbooksAnthology!

Backlist Ebook is considering one or more anthology ideas. Heads up to get some really good reading in these short stories by authors you have 'met' here and elsewhere in cyberspace :-)))

Right now two of the genres being considered are Mystery/Horror and Family. These are just a few of the ideas being considered so watch for more news about it on Facebook and BeB and other places.

In the meantime, check out your favorite authors and genres on Amazon. com and the Kindle bookstore. Snow days are happy days with a book to read :-)

Just remember there are roots and buds and good stuff under all that snow!
Break's over,
Jackie

Happy 2011 Readers & Writers!

Here it is, a brand new year to make progress, make friends, and make do in some cases with the economy still in the - well, never mind - concentrate on the good stuff like a little poem that sticks in my mind:

As you travel on through life
Let it ever be your goal
To keep your eye upon the donut
and not upon the hole! :-)

Another bright spot is seeing something good to balance anything that's not so good. The thing I'm watching closely right now (besides the family health both physical and financial) is my ebook sales. I've priced them all no higher than $2.99 and crossed my fingers (didn't change my typing much - ha!) but my sales though not big enough to brag yet are at least going steadily up.

Also, I've got all my rights back except two hard covers which are still under contract, the rest are available on Kindle and live right now at great prices. Also, people seem to be reading the series since multiple sales are being reported.
The Maryvale series; The Maggie and Joe series; the Chris and Duff Insurance series; plus the stand alones and others on my Kindle list.

Also, I'm hoping to hear from fellow readers and writers on my blog so please if you come to visit, leave a comment (and welcome and thanks for coming :-)
There will be more Kindle novels and good prices too and soon - keep checking back and have a great 2011.(And do keep your eye on the donut!)
Break's over! :-)

Christmas Ebook & More

Just in time for Christmas I've put THE NELSON SCANDAL on Kindle at a 'gift' price of $2.99. Thumbnail: Sheriff Cas Larkin and his matchmaking wife Connie follow hot clues and cold trails investigating four homicides - two of them more than a hundred years old!

Also new on Kindle is RECIPE FOR TROUBLE; MARDI GRAS MURDER; and AN UNPOPULAR CORPSE. Since these are all cases for Sheriff Cas Larkin in my Maryvale series and I'm planning on writing as long as I can see the monitor - look for more (please? LOL)

In the meantime, I wish all of us happy reading, writing, and cyper hugs,
Break's over,
Jackie

Woops! SecondnewnovelonKindle!

This is a PS I guess - since I forgot to tell you about the other newest Kindle novel in my last post.

Title: L.I.F.E. (Takes place in the near enough to worry about future).

Logline: Two senior med students hard up for living expenses and tuition apply for part time jobs and find out the current difination of L.I.F.E. is just as bizarre as their mysterious new jobs. Read it - dare ya! :-)

Break's really,positively over this time :-)
Jackie

Back With News!

Here I am again after a long break. I'd tell you what I'm into, onto, and up to, too (maybe) but I might want to sell the movie rights, LOLFOF. The Fickle Finger of Fate sometimes just defies imagination.

The newest thing is I have more things on Kindle and at very good prices both here and on the Amazon UK Kindle.

On the publishing front: Dead on Arrival, HC first of the Maggie and Joe series is available as of January 2010 from Five Star/Gale.

Merrywinds, a romance/adventure novel will be out HC in November also from Five Star, then the large print will be out in December of 2010.

I've just put two new full length novels up on Kindle also:
The Snafued Snatch, second of the Maggie and Joe series.
Thumbnail: "Two young would-be criminals disappointed with the take from robbing convenience stores, decide to try kidnapping. They look in all the Memphis papers, case businesses, and decide to kidnap Hank Hanover's wife, Grace, and ask only a hundred thousand dollars so he will pay and not call the police. They plan the 'snatch' for Halloween night when the Hanover's are having a party and it goes well except for one little hitch. Instead of Grace they get Hank's cousin, Maggie. With Maggie tied up in their van they call Hank at the party. They tell Hank they have his wife and the figure they have in mind is a hundred thousand in small bills. Hank, full of good bourbon and looking at his wife across the room, laughs at them, says the way Grace spends money and credit he can't afford to take her back for a mere hundred grand and hangs up on them. Maggie hears the last of the conversation and is inclined to laugh at the difference between a hundred thousand and her check book balance - but does her husband, Joe even know she is missing? And what will happen when these two morons find out she's not Grace?

There are also new low prices on the Amamazon UK to hopefully make some new friends in the UK.

The gorgeous fall weather is making it impossible to stay in the house any longer! Break's over - please come again,
Jackie