#BookHugs, Authors, Kathleen Rowland, Novels, romantic suspense, Tirgearr Publishing

Ghost #BookHugs #Tirgearrpublishing #RomanticSuspense Deadly Alliance and message about friendship @RowlandKathleen

October 18, 2017 Melanie Leave a comment

Kathleen believes a friend is kind to another’s dreams. Everyone struggles, and a friend who tries to understand is priceless. When things go well, a friend shares the joy.

Blurb for Deadly Alliance, romantic suspense

Finbar Donahue, former Army Ranger, walked on the wild side in Iraq, but now he lives in the shadows. After his evasive partner, Les, was shot in a random drive-by, Finn discovers cash is siphoned monthly. He fights to keep his investment company afloat. When the late partner’s girlfriend, Amy Kintyre, applies for his bookkeeping job, Finn suspects she knows about his company drain and hires her.

Amy needs a nine-to-five with free evenings and weekends to get her fashion design business back on track. She unearths Les’ s secret bank account and alerts Finn. Freezing of the money laundering account sets off havoc within an Irish gang. Amy witnesses a gang fight between a brutal ISIS fundraising organization and the Irish. Desperate to escape a stalker’s crosshairs, she seeks refuge with Finn. As danger heats up, sparks fly hotter.

Interview—Finn and Amy

Let’s interview the hero of Deadly Alliance, Finbar Donahue.

Nickname: Finn. My full name is Finbar Michael Donahue.
Job: I own my own investment company, but who’s the chickenshit stealing money from me? My goal is to find the thief.
Level of schooling: B.A. in finance, former Army Ranger. That was when I targeted a known enemy. Believe me, it’s harder now.

I’ve got a few questions for the heroine, Amy Kintyre.

What’s your dream job? I want to get my sportswear design business back on track. A few days ago a buyer phoned me and gave me an opportunity to present my line. I need a nine-to-five with evenings and weekends off to sew mockups.
Is that why you applied for Finbar Donahue’s bookkeeping job? Yes, but I have a huge problem. Last night I found a sketchy bank account belonging to my late boyfriend, Les. He and Finn were partners.
Would you enjoy working for Finn? No, but there aren’t many job openings in Lake Arrowhead.

Short excerpt– Amy’s first day working for Finn

Hours later, Finn straightened his spine as he listened to his new bookkeeper order Rosenberg around with the authority of an Army lieutenant. She spoke with confidence from her chair and waited for answers with intensity. Somehow she came across larger than her delicate self.

“Brad,” his pretty war buddy said, “I’ll need your password to access activity-to-date.” Her attitude wasn’t for show. Her curiosity propelled her to the depths of the drain. Heaven help those who lurked there.

“Sure thing.” Brad blew out a breath and scribbled his password on a sticky note. Handing it to her, he bent to her level.

She said, “I apologize for causing chaos.”

“No apology necessary.” Brad asked, “What are you working on?”

Jumping in, Finn said, “Comparisons, Rosenberg, that’s what she’s working on.” Unholy as she’d undoubtedly turn out to be, at the moment they were forged in combat. “Give her your full support.”

“Absolutely. Consider me your scaffold,” Rosenberg said, accepting his fate. “Excuse me, won’t you? I’m running payroll.”

Finn liked his head accountant. He was solid. Dependable. Not creative, but his easy-going manner was soothing. “Payroll. You’re a masochist.”

Amy smiled, and her crystal-green gaze sought his. She found his comment amusing. Her professional attire included a gray satin blouse tucked into a herringbone skirt. When she moved, her layered, dark-blonde hair settled into a sleek flip over her shoulders.

Amy’s bending and reaching, as she took control of her four-by-four cubicle, was damn compelling. She found a rhythm with a handy notepad beside her computer. Using Brad’s password, she turned sideways to open files. Attractive summed up her symmetrical profile and creamy complexion.

For a long while, getting hot and heavy had not been on his mind. Her envelope gave him concrete evidence to bring to the sheriff and eased his tension. As she brushed tresses off her face, he wanted to nibble on her ear.

Amy packed her lithe frame with succulent curves. He enjoyed observing her ample bust which required high-performance support. He’d like to see those globes running free. He’d never considered her as dating material. Timing was off. When she started dating Les, he was hooking up with Miss California. Now it was too late. She worked for him. Hands off. Finn liked women—lots of women, all women, in all shapes and sizes and ethnicities as long as they met the enthusiasm requirement. He hadn’t tested this, but she was off-limits for another reason. He didn’t intend to put her through another relationship leading to nowhere.

Finn kept things loose. A woman in his bed but not in his life was what he often said. There hadn’t been that either. Why was she looking at him like that?

Purchase links for Deadly Alliance:

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Alliance-Kathleen-Rowland-ebook/dp/B019EE5OP8/

Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deadly-alliance-kathleen-rowland/1123141145?ean=2940152523393

Amazon US

http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Alliance-Kathleen-Rowland-ebook/dp/B019EE5OP8/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28225810-deadly-alliance?from_search=true&search_version=service

Bio and Links—Kathleen Rowland

Book Buyers Best finalist Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with a sizzling love story sure to melt their hearts. Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels. She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji. Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.

Kathleen exists happily with her witty CPA husband, Gerry, in their 70’s poolside retreat in Southern California where she adores time spent with visiting grandchildren, dogs, one bunny, and noisy neighbors. While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she appreciates the luxury of time to write while listening to demanding character voices in her head.

http://www.kathleenrowland.com/

https://twitter.com/rowlandkathleen

https://kathleenrowland.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.rowland.50

http://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Rowland/e/B007RYMF7S/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1462406582&sr=1-2-ent

Accent Press, Authors, cosy mystery, Lesley Cookman, Novels

MURDER BY THE BARREL by Lesley Cookman #MurderMystery #guestpost

October 18, 2017 Melanie Leave a comment

MURDER BY THE BARREL
by
Lesley Cookman

Series: Libby Sarjeant series number 18 (can be read as a standalone)

Genre: Cosy crime

Release Date: 5^th October

Publisher: Accent Press

When the village of Steeple Martin announces its first beer festival, the locals are excited. Beer, sun and music, what could possibly go wrong?

But when an unexpected death shakes the village, it’s up to Libby Sarjeant and friends to solve the puzzle.

Was it just another rock star death or is there something more sinister afoot?

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

*********

The importance of a Good Title

Titles. Yes. Well, I don’t exactly pick mine. When I started the first Libby Sarjeant book – not that I knew it was the first – I called it Past Imperfect. My publisher said would anybody Get It. Eh? Do people actually know about Tenses these days? Of course, I said. I mean, you get taught them in Latin and French, as well as English Grammar. She looked at me pityingly. So I went home and asked my adult children, one of who I had just seen graduating from Uni, what they thought. They didn’t look pitying, they looked scornful.

So, my publisher said, how about Murder In Steeple Martin? The story does what it says on the tin. Oh – and please could it be a series? And so there we were. Murder has been the non-negotiable part of the title ever since. The next was easy – Murder at The Laurels, about an old lady being disposed of in a retirement home. The third, well, that was fairly easy, too, as it was set in panto season – so Murder In Midwinter it became. After that it got more difficult. Sometimes I, my editor or one of my children would come up with a blinding title which would then require me to fit a story around it. Other times an idea would be suggested – usually by my elder son – which would mean searching around for a title to fit. The one concerning a ukulele group, for instance, I wanted a quote I could misappropriate, and eventually settled on Murder Out Of Tune, a misquote from Othello. I finally managed to shoehorn “Imperfect” in as Murder Imperfect, the seventh in the series. One which I’ve always loved was when my elder daughter said, while we were watching the May Day parade here in our home town, “That would be great for a murder, Mum.” Our parade, like many others all over the country, is led by a Jack In The Green, a huge wire cage smothered in greenery with a hapless man inside, who is frequently fed beer to keep him going. I saw the possibilities in this immediately and the title was obvious: Murder In The Green.

A couple of years ago, we decided to start another series set in an Edwardian seaside concert party, an idea borne out of an original musical libretto I wrote for the British Music Hall Society, and further used as a back story in Murder In Midwinter. I had no idea where to start with this, so I asked the four children. (I say children – they are all adults. I think.) We had a hilarious Messenger conversation and ended up with Death Plays A Part. Should have realised. Now we’re stuck with Death. So the follow up, after another conversation with the kids, was Entertaining Death and very soon I shall have to think up another one.

Meanwhile, following elder son’s suggestion of a village beer festival setting, Murder By The Barrel is the latest title, out now. And the next one I only have myself to blame. Fired up by all the Shakespearean celebrations last year, a title burst into my head like a rocket: Murder And The Glovemaker’s Son. I emailed it to my publisher and editor, they both loved it and lo! It will be Libby 19. But I had to think of a plot to fit. It has taken me MONTHS! Thought it up – couldn’t make it work. Thought some more. Wrote another outline. And so it went on. I think I’ve got it now, so watch this space.

And, of course, we have to have another conversation about the third Edwardian book. It’s a time consuming business, you know.

ABOUT LESLEY COOKMAN

Lesley Cookman writes the Libby Sarjeant Mysteries and the Edwardian mystery series, The Alexandrians. She has a varied background as a model, an air stewardess (when it was posh), a nightclub DJ (in a silver sparkly catsuit), editor of a Music Hall magazine, The Call Boy, a magazine called The Poulty Farmer, and pantomime writer and director. She lives on the Kent coast and has four grown up children who are variously musicians and writers, two grandchildren and two cats, not necessarily in that order.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibbySarjeantMysteries/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LesleyCookman

Blog: http://lesleycookman.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/news

Website: www.lesleycookman.co.uk