Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Mystery Picks of the Day – April 29, 2014

Today the HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle features our Mystery Novels Picks of the Day. These are some of the BEST DEALS from outstanding Mystery Authors for the Kindle at Amazon.

Follow this blog for outstanding Mysteries and great prices.




Way of the Warrior

The Philosophy of Law Enforcement



Author: Bernard Schaffer

Price: FREE


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In his first non-fiction essay, best-selling author Bernard J. Schaffer takes a break from writing about historical serial killers and space aliens to examine the culture of law enforcement. Part-biography, it is an inspirational discussion about the men and women who protect and serve the public, at any cost.

Behind every real cop's badge and gun lies the heart of a warrior. Unleash your inner hero. That is the Way of the Warrior.


Author Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Mystery & Thrillers

Author's Blog: Dia de los Toros Publications
Twitter: @BernardSchaffer
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Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Bernard Schaffer is the author of multiple books that span a wide variety of genres, including literature, police procedurals, and science fiction westerns. He has worked on several projects with famous authors such as Harlan Ellison, Alan Dean Foster, and Bill Thompson (the editor who discovered Stephen King and John Grisham).

Recently, he collaborated with J.A. Konrath on two books that feature Konrath's best-selling Lt. Jack Daniels characters and Schaffer's own Superbia series.

A lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, he is the proud father of two children. In addition to writing and publishing, he is a decorated police veteran detective and expert witness in narcotics distribution. In the late eighties, Schaffer was a child actor who appeared on stage and screen, including starring in the Nickelodeon series, "Don't Just Sit There."


Sleep Tight


Author: Rachel Abbott

Price: $ 0.99


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How far would you go to hold on to the people you love?

When Olivia Brookes calls the police to report that her husband and children are missing, she believes she will never see them again. She has reason to fear the worst; this isn’t the first tragedy that Olivia has experienced. Now, two years later, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas is called in to investigate this family again, but this time it’s Olivia who has disappeared. All the evidence suggests that she was here, in the family home, that morning.

But her car is in the garage, and her purse is in her handbag – on the kitchen table. The police want to issue an appeal, but for some reason every single picture of this family has been removed from albums, from phones, from computers.

And then they find the blood…

Has the past caught up with Olivia?


Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction

Website: Rachel Abbott
Author's Blog: Rachel Abbott
Twitter: @_RachelAbbott
E-Mail: rachel@rachel-abbott.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Rachel published Only the Innocent in November 2011. It raced up the UK charts to reach the top 100 within 12 weeks and quickly hit the #1 spot in the Amazon Kindle chart (all categories) and remained there for four weeks.

Originally Only the Innocent was a self-published title, but since the success of the early version, the novel was re-edited and the new version was launched in the US by Thomas and Mercer in paperback, audio and Kindle versions on 5th February 2013, hitting the number one spot in the Kindle Store in August 2013. Her second book, The Back Road, was also published by Thomas and Mercer.

Her third book, Sleep Tight, was published in February 2014.

Rachel Abbott was born just outside Manchester, England. She spent most of her working life as the Managing Director of an interactive media company, developing software and websites for the education market. The sale of that business enabled her to fulfil one of her lifelong ambitions - to buy and restore a property in Italy. Rachel now lives in Alderney - a beautiful island off the coast of France, and is now able to devote time to her other love - writing fiction.


The Trajectory of Dreams


Author: Nicole Wolverton

Price: $ 0.99


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It begins with an explosion. Lela White's life hasn't been the same since the space shuttle disintegrated into a bright blue sky when she was a ten year old girl. Since her mother disappeared without a word or explanation. Years later, the world has moved on, but Lela hasn't.

Her precisely-ordered world revolves around both events. She can't forget. She can't let go. She can only prepare for the worst: the day she has to kill to keep the space shuttle from exploding again.

A novel that explores mental illness and the impact of national tragedies, The Trajectory of Dreams is told from the point of view of Lela White, a gravely mentally ill woman whose delusions compel her to break into astronauts' homes to watch them sleep. Only her careful monitoring of their REM cycles and judgments about their fitness for space flight can keep the shuttle program safe. The greater good is the only thing that matters. She can't be found out or have her work interrupted. Lela finds a way to balance her secret mission and her daytime job as a technician in Houston's premiere sleep lab.

When Zory Korchagin, a Russian cosmonaut on loan to the U.S. shuttle program, finds himself drawn to Lela, he puts her carefully-constructed world at risk of an explosion as surely as he does his own upcoming launch. As Lela's universe unravels, no one is safe.


Author Genre: Thriller, Suspense

Website: Nicole Wolverton
Twitter: @nicolewolverton
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
NICOLE WOLVERTON is the author of the psychological thriller The Trajectory of Dreams (March 2013, Bitingduck Press). Her short fiction has appeared in Black Heart Magazine, The Molotov Cocktail, and Penduline, among others. She writes adult and young adult fiction.

She lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband, two cats, and a dog. She is a freelance writer and editor, and she enjoys running and outrigger canoeing.


Twisted Fate


Author: Jeremy Laszlo

Price: $ 0.99


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Faced with the rite of passage that makes him an adult, Gnak seeks out a suitable sacrifice to the gods of his people. Deciding to capture a human, he finds himself injured and at the mercy of the very prisoner he sought to put to death.

Through a series of unforeseen events, Gnak finds knowledge into the workings of the world, and the gods, that he has never before fathomed. Above all, he finds that his hatred of the other races is little more than his own ignorance and Orcish pride.

Against all he has known, and all he once believed, Gnak is forced to defy those of his kind with hope to change their ways and lead them to a better future.

With so many lives on the line, will he succeed in time to save those closest to his heart?


Author Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult, Horror

Website: Jeremy Laszlo
Twitter: @JeremyLaszlo
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Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
First and foremost I am a father and a husband. I work full time as a civilian employed by the US army, and have also been known as a welder, electrician, carpenter, roofer, writer, painter, CNC machinist, and amongst many other things a romantic. I also belong to the eternal fraternal brotherhood of the United States Marine Corps, having served 8 years that showed me a much broader perspective of the world at large serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, The war on Terrorism, and the humanitarian effort in Liberia.

I currently live in southern Louisiana with my wife and children, though I grew up in Michigan, graduating high school in Mason MI. I also spent time living in North Carolina, Florida, and California during my time in the United States Marine Corps. I have always dreamed of publishing my work, and seeing it on a bookshelf in a store, however with the huge shift to digital media I finally realized that the dream was in my own hands. I tell my children that they can live their dreams, and I believe in leading by example.

I enjoy writing across several different genres from poetry, to children's stories, to full epic fantasies. Creating new characters for my readers to connect with, new worlds for them to immerse themselves in, and new ideas to wrap their minds around is an amazing if not humbling experience. I hope that all my readers can take something away from each of my books, and enjoy reading them just as much as I have enjoyed putting them in print.


The Night Walk Men

A Novella



Author: Jason Mcintyre

Price: FREE


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Three-year old Gabriela plays with her twin brother on a train platform. Blind sax man, Braille the Rail, meets with an old, old friend. The earth rumbles beneath them all: the promise of an approaching locomotive. Now, two mysterious strangers, both of them acting in the interest of an otherworldly sense of duty, will decide their fate over a cup of tea.


Author Genre: Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, Horror

Website: The Farthest Reaches
Twitter: @JasonCMcIntyre
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
JASON MCINTYRE is the #1 Kindle Suspense author of THE NIGHT WALK MEN, bestsellers ON THE GATHERING STORM and SHED, plus the multi-layered literary suspense THALO BLUE. His short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and won several awards.

His current release is the full-length follow-up novel to THE NIGHT WALK MEN called THE DEVIL'S RIGHT HAND, available now.
Sponsored by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
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HBS has verified prices when this article was posted. Please verify the price before buying and its availability at your location for that price.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Mystery Picks of the Day – April 25, 2014

Today the HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle features our Mystery Novels Picks of the Day. These are some of the BEST DEALS from outstanding Mystery Authors for the Kindle at Amazon.

Follow this blog for outstanding Mysteries and great prices.




Wounded


Author: Lindsay Buroker

Price: $ 0.99


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When Tara Blankenship's writing assignment takes her to an "eco village" on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, she anticipates a quiet couple of weeks in a quaint setting. (She's far too mature to use the word boring, thank you very much.) What she stumbles into is anything but quiet and quaint.

Someone has been slaughtering livestock to scare the villagers, mysterious intruders are searching the property at night, and Tara finds a grisly welcome-warning on the porch of her guest cottage. To top it off, the surly neighbor nearly runs her off the road on her first day. Why are the handsome ones always such jerks?

Malcolm Ashcroft is the last person a sane woman would want to deal with, but he may be the only one with the key to solving the mystery--and giving Tara the story of her career. Of course... he might also be the man behind all the trouble.


Author Genre: Children's Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult

Website: Lindsay Buroker
Twitter: @GoblinWriter
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Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
I’ve been a lifeguard, a fast-food-flinger, a network administrator, and a soldier in the U.S. Army. From 2004 to 2011, I made a living as a blogger and affiliate marketer. I worked from home and made my own hours, so in many ways it was a dream job, but I’d always wanted to tell stories (instructing people on how to select a home security system or which gym equipment to buy wasn’t quite as fun as you’d think). Back in 2009 or so, I decided to “get serious” about finishing up some novels. I had a number of half-written manuscripts I could have focused on, but the characters I’d known longest were the Emperor’s Edge crew, and I also enjoyed spending time with them (seriously, who wouldn’t want to spend time with Maldynado? :D).

I finished Emperor’s Edge…and then let it sit on my hard drive for a year. I wasn’t sure it was good enough to send off to an agent (nor was I excited by the idea of querying ten bazillion agents). And there wasn’t much point in starting EE2 if I hadn’t sold EE1. So, I went on to write Encrypted, thinking that would be easier to sell because it was a stand-alone story and I had more experience as a writer by then. But… what started out as high-fantasy in a steam-age world ended up having this strange science-fiction bent in the end, and I wasn’t sure how to “sell” it to agents. Cross-genre? Steampunk? High fantasy? It wasn’t really any of the above, and, either way, I didn’t see many agents looking for those things (in fact, I saw more of them saying, “under no circumstances send us that secondary-world-fantasy crapola” — it’s possible I’m paraphrasing).

About that time (fall of 2010), I got my first Kindle and stumbled across JA Konrath’s blog on self-publishing. Within weeks, I’d decided I wanted to go that route. Since I had a background in blogging, search engine optimization, internet marketing, etc., I wasn’t intimidated by the idea of online book promotion (though, as it turns out, my background helped less than you’d think, and I had a lot to learn!).

In late 2011, I e-published my fourth novel, and, thanks to your support, I’ve been able to leave the old day job and make this author thing a full-time gig. I’m not making what I used to make, but it’s my dream job, and that’s what matters most to me.


Twelve to Murder

A Mac Faraday Mystery



Author: Lauren Carr

Price: $ 0.99


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Two people are brutally murdered in their summer place on Deep Creek Lake. Suspected of the murders, former child star and one-time teenybopper idol Lenny Frost takes innocent bystanders hostage in a local pub and demands that Mac Faraday find the killer. Can Mac save the hostages and himself from the wrath of the enraged has-been by piecing together the clues in less than twelve hours, or will it be a fatal last call at the stroke of midnight?


Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Website: Lauren Carr Mystery Writer
Twitter: @TheMysteryLadie
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Lauren Carr fell in love with mysteries when her mother read Perry Mason to her at bedtime. The first installment in the Joshua Thornton mysteries, A Small Case of Murder was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award.

Lauren is also the author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. It's Murder, My Son, Old Loves Die Hard, Shades of Murder, and Blast from the Past have all been getting rave reviews from readers and reviewers. The Murders at Astaire Castle is the fifth Mac Faraday Mystery. The Lady Who Cried Murder, the sixth installment in the series will be released October 2013.

Dead on Ice introduces a new series entitled Lovers in Crime, in which Joshua Thornton will join forces with homicide detective Cameron Gates. Lauren is currently working on the next Lovers in Crime Mystery, Real Murder (coming January 2014).

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, fifteen books written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.


Almost Matched

Almost Bad Boys #1



Author: A.O. Peart

Price: $ 0.99


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NEW ADULT/ADULT CROSSOVER ROMANTIC COMEDY NOVELLA **Warning: contains sexual situations (some quite vivid!), profanity, and a high dose of sarcasm. Oh, and there is a lot of appletini and beer drinking. May not be appropriate for readers under 18 years old. Not intended for prudes and killjoys with no sense of humor**

Would you take another shot at love? Or just settle on a friend with benefits?

Their heartbreaking past will move you. Their passion will make you blush. Their antics will make you laugh out loud.

Twenty-five-year-old Natalie Davenport lugs substantial baggage. One boyfriend after the next has been a total disaster, leaving Natalie distrustful toward the male population in general. So when Colin Hampton crosses her path, she’s cautious. Her heart (and some other body parts!) nudges her to go for it, while her head wants her to run for the hills.

Colin is one of those gorgeous guys who attract women, no matter the age or marital status. With a successful career at a popular Seattle radio station, hard body, and charming personality, he is the complete package. But something dark lurks in the corners of his soul; some murky experience that has changed him—maybe for the better, but maybe for the worse.

Will he steal her heart and stomp over it like other guys did?

Will she let him into her heavily fortified world despite herself?

Or will they settle somewhere in the middle—establishing the emotional boundaries to protect them from falling in love?


Author Genre: New Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Romance, Comedy, Mystery, Suspense

Website: Author A.O. Peart
Author's Blog: A.O. Peart Blog
Twitter: @Angela_Peart
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Author Description:
A.O. Peart (Angela Orlowski-Peart) is the author of the New Adult and Young Adult fiction novels, including NA/adult crossover contemporary romantic comedy series Almost Bad Boys. Angela writes in multiple YA and NA genres, including contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, urban fantasy, sci-fi, and short stories.

She was born and raised in Poland. She now lives in the Seattle area with her family and a chronically curious cat.

Angela describes herself as European born, American by choice.


Murder in a Mill Town

Nell Sweeney Mystery Series, Book 2



Author: P.B. Ryan

Price: $ 0.99


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Book #2 of P.B. Ryan’s acclaimed historical mystery series (Book #1 is Still Life With Murder). Murder in a Mill Town was a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Boston governess Nell Sweeney and her employer’s morphine-addicted son, Dr. Will Hewitt, investigate a young woman’s disappearance. Originally published by Berkley Prime Crime.

Former pickpocket Nell Sweeney reinvented herself and found a position as governess to wealthy Viola Hewitt’s daughter Grace. When Viola needs help locating two missing people, she turns to Nell. Working with Viola’s son Will, an opium addict who knows his way around the back alleys and gambling dens, Nell finds the two murdered, and all evidence points to Will’s brother Harry as the killer. While attempting to clear Harry’s name, Nell and Will walk straight into the villain’s lair. Ryan creates characters you care about and a plot that holds your interest as you try to unmask the killer. Lively and intriguing, this is a fast-paced, wonderful read. Romantic Times BookReviews


Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Website: Patricia Ryan
Twitter: @Patricia_Ryan_
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest

Author Description:
I was seven when I got my first set of oil paints for Christmas, and from that point on, I was an obsessive-compulsive art geek. But like most of my novelist colleagues, I also wrote a lot while I was growing up–short stories, but also plays and teleplays, often in collaboration with my twin sister, Pam (she’s the evil one). Many of the latter were Star Trek scripts in which Mr. Spock overcomes his lack of emotions to find true love, usually with someone a lot like me, but without the braces, glasses, and preadolescent complexion issues.

My subject matter had evolved into garden-variety late-adolescent angst by the time I started attending SUNY Stony Brook, where I was lucky enough to be taught creative writing by novelist/screenwriter Richard “No adverbs!” Price. But I was still pretty much hung up on art, so after a couple of years, I transferred to the San Francisco Art Institute.

Upon returning to New York after graduation, I learned that a resume that lists a BFA in painting and a couple of menial college jobs produces more snickers than offers on the part of prospective employers. My solution, for some reason, was to trade my paint-crusted jeans and T-shirts for panty hose and a business suit so that I could labor seventy hours a week as a paralegal in a high-powered Manhattan sweatsh– uh, law firm. When I’d enjoyed about as much of that as I could stand, I took a gigundo pay cut to switch to publishing, where I ended up as promotion manager for a small division of a large NYC publishing house (now sadly defunct) called Van Nostrand Reinhold.


Any Taint of Vice

A Kate Shugak Story



Author: Dana Stabenow

Price: $ 0.99


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In this terrific story from New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow, PI Kate Shugak is pulled into the mean streets of the Anchorage underworld to find Alyeska University president Victor Boatright's missing son Carl. For fans who can't wait for the next Kate Shugak novel and new readers alike, this story provides the perfect dose of Stabenow's trademark colorful characters and complex plotting.


Author Genre: Crime, Suspense, Science Fiction

Website: Dana Stabenow
Author's Blog: Feast For One
Twitter: @danastabenow
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Dana Stabenow was born in Anchorage and raised on 75-foot fish tender in the Gulf of Alaska. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere and found it in writing.

Her first science fiction novel, Second Star, sank without a trace (but has since been resurrected as an e-book), her first crime fiction novel, A Cold Day for Murder, won an Edgar award, her first thriller, Blindfold Game, hit the New York Times bestseller list, and her twenty-eighth novel and nineteenth Kate Shugak novel, Restless in the Grave, was published February 14, 2012.
Sponsored by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
eBook Author’s Corner and HBS Author's Spotlight

HBS has verified prices when this article was posted. Please verify the price before buying and its availability at your location for that price.