The Opposite of Dark, Second Edition Ebook is Here!

Late this spring, I reached an amicable agreement to obtain all of my rights back to my first four Casey Holland mysteries. While TouchWood Editions was a great publisher to work with, it was time to move on.

I’m delighted to relaunch a second edition, ebook version of first installment, The Opposite of Dark. I’m hoping to release all four books before the year’s over, but I’m working on several new writing projects, and real life commitments swallow up many hours per week, so who knows?

The plan is to release the fifth installment, Knock Knock, in both print and ebook versions next year, which is exciting! More on that over the coming months!

After a lot of pondering and reading all sorts of advice on the subject, I’ve decided to price The Opposite of Dark at $3.99 US, which feels right, but time will tell. Meanwhile, the book’s available at:

amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/hop2nrl

amazon.ca: http://tinyurl.com/h4wn83k

Kobo link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/the-opposite-of-dark-2

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-opposite-of-dark/id1151714413?mt=11

And the blurb:

When the police tell transit security cop Casey Holland that her father was murdered the previous night, Casey doesn’t believe them. Why would she, given that she buried her dad three years earlier? Desperate to understand what’s going on and if the man she buried really was Marcus Holland, Casey attempts to unravel the truth about her past.

Filled with twists and turns and the unwelcome help of a persistent stranger, Casey’s quest takes her to Europe where startling revelations place her in danger. An associate of her father believes that Marcus stole three million dollars from him and he wants it back. Convinced that Casey can find the money, the man won’t stop until he either has the cash or she and those she loves die.

REVIEWERS SAY:

“This is truly a fast-moving, action-packed thriller with many twists and turns, many suspects, and many secrets and lies. I would have read this book at one sitting were I able to, I was so involved in the story.” Nightreader

“This is one fast-paced novel filled with characters that will definitely keep the reader wondering just who can Casey trust. This is a definite must read.” Fran Lewis

“This book is a page-turner. Purdy Kong creates rounded, believable characters and the story is complex enough to satisfy but not defeat you. I was never quite sure “who dun it”. Just what I love in a good mystery novel.” – Julie H. Ferguson, Author of Book Magic

Debra

Fatal Encryption Back in Ebook Format!

Last month I reissued one of my favourite mysteries, Fatal Encryption, as an ebook, using Draft 2 Digital (which was quite user friendly). The book was published in 2008 and I still sell print copies locally. I’d thought about letting this one go out of print, but as it turns out the topic of computer hacking is more timely than ever. I knew hacking incidents would increase over the years, but I had no idea by how much!

Of my seven published novels, this is the one that incorporates scenes of Port Moody, where I’ve lived for nearly thirty years. With the extension of the SkyTrain (our above rail transit system), now just a five minute walk from my house and the enormous number of construction that’s happening in this city, I’m really glad to have captured certain sites back then. The Port Moody I’d be writing about today is quite different.

After much debating with myself and consulting with colleagues about price point, I’ve decided to set the book at $1.99 US. Time will tell if this was a good idea or not.

If you like whodunits with a bit of romance and humor than try FATAL ENCRYPTION at any of the links listed below, and thank you!

Blurb Promo:

Dressed as Kermit the Frog on Halloween, unemployed Alex Bellamy wonders where his life went wrong. It could be worse. A few miles away, Zachary Ternoway is stabbed to death at his front door. In need of cash, Alex agrees to help catch a computer hacker at McKinleys’ Department Store. But things turn serious when the hacker threatens to permanently encrypt the store’s data and torch the building unless ten million dollars is handed over fast. Alex knows there’s a connection between the murder and the extortionist, yet time’s running out. People are questioning his competency, and a killer’s threatening his life.

Ibooks: http://ow.ly/zwTd301pY3T

Amazon:  myBook.to/FatalEncryption

Kobo:   http://tinyurl.com/z5sagyl

Nook: http://tinyurl.com/ju8krvs

Introducing Guest Author, Katherine Prairie

I’m very happy to introduce Vancouver author Katherine Prairie, who’s intriguing background  offers plenty of material to incorporate into her fiction. Katherine, a geologist and IT specialist, stepped away from the international petroleum industry to follow her passion for writing. An avid traveller with an insatiable curiosity, you never know where you’ll find her next! But most days, she’s in Vancouver, Canada quietly plotting murder and mayhem under the watchful eye of a cat. She is an award-winning presenter and the author of the thriller THIRST.

I posed some questions for Katherine which she kindly answered. Enjoy!

Did you incorporate any real life experiences or settings into the story?

I’m a geologist and I spent much of my career in the international petroleum industry, but I also worked for a mining company one summer. For four months, I lived in a tent, hiked mountains and rode helicopters to/from work sites in the Canadian north. It was an experience like no other and through geologist Alex Graham, I try to share it with readers.

If you’re writing a series, what are the pros and cons? If you’ve written a stand-alone what are the pros and cons?

I didn’t set out to write a series but I came to really like Alex Graham and she fit well into other stories I had in mind. With a series, it’s much easier to deliver a rich personality because I have room to develop Alex over several novels. But it also means that I have to pace her journey carefully because I want readers to get to know her a little better in each story. And I always have to remember that every action she takes affects future novels!

 

What is the most satisfying character and/or story line you’ve ever written?

You might think that it’s Alex, but it’s my ER doctor, Eric Keenan. THIRST required a key medical scene that I struggled with for many weeks, but when it finally came together I was thrilled with the results. It wasn’t just the scene itself, but Eric’s character as well, and I found myself expanding the role of this very complex doctor and adding more medical scenes.

Name your top three how-to writing books, and/or the best novels you’ve ever read.

The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi is my go-to reference when I’m trying to convey emotion through character movement or expression.

I also like The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass because it goes beyond the nuts-and-bolts of writing to deliver solid practical advice on how to develop compelling scenes.

And when I need to review the basics, it’s Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale.

                  Here's the back jacket blurb:

“THIRST leads the reader down a literary mineshaft where oxygen is running low and time short. Flavoured with insider expertise and a nature storyteller’s flair, THIRST is a gripping and fun ride.”  Daniel Kalla, bestselling author of NIGHTFALL OVER SHANGHAI.

You can order Katherine’s book through Amazon  Chapters and iBooks 

Connect with Katherine at:

www.katherineprairie.com

www.facebook.com/katherine.prairie

www.twitter.com/authorprairie

Introducing Guest Author: Judy Penz Sheluk

Over the past few weeks I’ve networked with many new people. One of the most dynamic, friendly, and helpful is Judy Penz Sheluk. Her debut mystery, THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE was published July 2015 through Barking Rain Press. Her short crime fiction is included in The Whole She-Bang 2 and World Enough and Crime.

In her less mysterious pursuits, Judy works as a freelance writer/editor. She is currently Editor of Home BUILDER Magazine and Senior Editor, New England Antiques Journal.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, and International Thriller Writers. Find Judy at www.judypenzsheluk.com where she interviews other authors and blogs about the writing life.

I’ve posed some questions for Judy. You’ll find her answers insightful!

Tell us about your book

The Hanged Man’s Noose is the story of Emily Garland, a Toronto-based freelance writer who is offered a lucrative assignment in the small town of Lount’s Landing: find the real story behind a ruthless developer’s plans to convert an old schoolhouse on the town’s historic Main Street into a mega-box store. Recently dumped by her fiancé and tired of reporting on the same old condo stats, she jumps at the opportunity to relocate and start anew. Adding to her motivation is the fact that she blames the developer for her mother’s recent suicide.

When Emily arrives in town, she quickly learns that not everyone is on board with the mega-box store, least of all Arabella Carpenter, the outspoken owner of the Glass Dolphin, an antiques shop on Main. But Arabella is not alone in her opposition. Before long, a vocal dissenter at a town hall meeting about the proposed project dies. A few days later, another body is discovered, and although both deaths are ruled accidental, Emily’s journalistic suspicions are aroused.

Putting her reporting skills to the ultimate test, Emily teams up with Arabella to discover the truth behind Stonehaven’s latest scheme before the murderer strikes again.

Describe an average writing day. Do you have any rituals and schedules?

I try to write every day, though it doesn’t always work out that way. My goal is 6,000 words a week, which gives me a first draft in three months. Once I have the draft completed, I leave it for a couple of weeks and start something else. After a couple of weeks, I’ll go back and change the color of the font on the entire document from black to blue. Then I start rereading it, editing chapter by chapter as I go, and changing the font color back to black when I’m satisfied that the chapter works. I’ll repeat that process once more, and then send the manuscript to a professional editor for their review. Then I’ll revise based on their input. After that final revision, I’ll send the book out into the world for publishing consideration.

As for rituals, I drink lots of tea (Warmth by Tetley, a cinnamon rooibos blend) and water. I also listen to talk radio while I write: either Newstalk 1010 or Talk 640 Toronto.

What are you working on right now?

I’m on the final revision of Skeletons in the Attic: A Marketville Mystery. It also takes place in small town (Marketville) but with the exception of Arabella Carpenter, who has a minor role, all the characters are different than in The Hanged Man’s Noose. I’m also planning the sequel to Noose, this time with Arabella as the protagonist and Emily along for the ride.

Read the first four chapters of The Hanged Man’s Noose free, and get a 35% off coupon HERE

Check out Judy's book on Amazon!