Thursday, October 01, 2015

New This Week: Murder & The Monkey Band, A High Desert Cozy Mystery by Dianne Harman

Omnimystery News is pleased to present a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers during October 2015 and priced $4.99 or less …

Murder & The Monkey Band by Dianne Harman

Murder & The Monkey Band by Dianne Harman

A High Desert Cozy Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Dianne Harman

Price: 99¢ (as of 10/01/2015 at 6:30 PM ET).

Murder & The Monkey Band by Dianne Harman, Amazon Kindle format

Marty Morgan is a recently divorced antique and art appraiser who moves from the Midwest to live with her sister in High Desert, California, just outside of Palm Springs. Since their early childhood days, her sister has always possessed unexplained psychic abilities that often enable her to predict future events.

An antique appraisal in the home of a recently murdered woman puts Marty at the center of a search for the killer. Who did it? The woman's son? The well-known collector of antique Meissen china? A professional art and antique thief? The owner of Mai Tai Mama's Restaurant?

And just what part did the collection of Meissen Monkey Band figurines play in the murder? Detective Jeff Combs is just as determined to develop a relationship with Marty and her dog Duke as he is to solve the crime. Will the psychic abilities of Marty's sister help her find the killer?

Murder & The Monkey Band by Dianne Harman

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News for a complete list of titles featured today.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

The Light Keeper's Legacy, A Chloe Ellefson Mystery by Kathleen Ernst, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Midnight Ink …

The Light Keeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst

The Light Keeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst

A Chloe Ellefson Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Price: $3.82 (as of 10/01/2015 at 6:00 PM ET).

The Light Keeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst, Amazon Kindle format

An island's history holds clues to a modern murder …

Solitude at last! Museum curator Chloe Ellefson jumps at the chance to spend time on Wisconsin's Rock Island, a state park with no electricity or roads. Hired as a consultant for a project to restore the island's historic 1857 lighthouse, her research turns up fascinating tough-as-nails women from the past.

Chloe's tranquility is spoiled when a dead woman washes ashore. Is it an accidental drowning? Or has tension over tighter fishing regulations reached a dangerous boiling point? When a second body is found, Chloe finds herself trapped on remote Rock Island with a killer.

The Light Keeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst

See more mysteries from Midnight Ink priced at $3.82 each for Kindle.

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Parting Shot, A Novel of Suspense by Roger Omerod, New This Week from Endeavour Press

Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher, promoting and selling ebook editions of works by new authors as well as bringing out ebook editions of out of print books.

We've selected one of their recently published mystery, suspense, thriller or crime titles to feature here today …

Parting Shot by Roger Omerod

Parting Shot by Roger Omerod

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Endeavour Press

Price: $3.99 (as of 10/01/2015 at 5:30 PM ET).

Parting Shot by Roger Omerod, Amazon Kindle format

When fashion photographer and ex-cop Owen Tanner's Scandinavian wife Karin vanishes from his apartment, he assumes that she has left him and their marriage is over. But then his home is ransacked and he begins to wonder if he has jumped to the wrong conclusion. And when he receives a distressed call from Karin in Sweden, his suspicions are confirmed. Owen leaves immediately for Scandinavia, determined to find out the truth.

During the crossing, he meets beautiful Finlander Eija Karlsson who seems keen to help him in his quest. But the couple are not alone. When Own realises he is being tailed by an old colleague from the force, the Norwegian police and other more sinister figures, he finds himself somehow caught up in the middle of a hunt for international diamond thieves.

As events reach a climax, Owen finds himself falling for Eija, and uncovers a conspiracy behind his wife's departure that is more terrifying than anything he could have imagined …

Parting Shot by Roger Omerod

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News for a complete list of titles featured today.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

A House Divided, A Legal Thriller by Robert Whitlow, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Thomas Nelson …

A House Divided by Robert Whitlow

A House Divided by Robert Whitlow

A Legal Thriller

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Price: $2.99 (as of 10/01/2015 at 5:00 PM ET).

A House Divided by Robert Whitlow, Amazon Kindle format

Corbin Gage can stand up to anyone … but his own divided house will bring him to his knees …

Corbin, a longtime legal champion for the downtrodden, is slowly drinking himself into the grave. His love for "mountain water" has cost him his marriage to the godliest woman he knows, ruined his relationship with his daughter, Roxy, and reduced the business at his small Georgia law firm to a level where he can barely keep the bill collectors at bay. But it isn't until his son, Ray, threatens to limit Corbin's time with his grandson that Corbin begins to acknowledge he might have a problem.

Despite the mess that surrounds his personal life and against the advice of everyone he knows, Corbin takes on a high-stakes tort case on behalf of two boys who have contracted non-Hodgkin's lymphoma due to an alleged chemical exposure. The defendant, a fertilizer company, is the largest employer in the area. The lawsuit becomes a tornado that sucks Corbin, Ray, and Roxy into an increasingly deadly vortex. Equally intense pressure within the family threatens to destroy, once and for all, the thin threads that connect them.

Corbin must find the strength to stand up to his personal demons. Justice for two dying boys depends on it … his family depends on it.

A House Divided by Robert Whitlow

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Pale in Death, A Mystery Novel by Ed Brock, New This Week from 280 Steps

280 Stepsis a publishing house specializing in crime fiction, with books from established authors and rising stars as well as reissued crime classics. The name is taken from master crime writer Raymond Chandler’s 1940 novel Farewell, My Lovely.

We've selected one of their recently published mystery, suspense, thriller or crime titles to feature here today …

Pale in Death by Ed Brock

Pale in Death by Ed Brock

A Mystery Novel

Publisher: 280 Steps

Price: $3.99 (as of 10/01/2015 at 4:30 PM ET).

Pale in Death by Ed Brock, Amazon Kindle format

Mark Freer, a cop reporter for a small newspaper outside of Atlanta, learns that the body of his ex-girlfriend has been found in his area. He left the girl, Amelia, in Biloxi, Mississippi years before after coming to realize that she suffered from an overwhelming addiction to meth. The problem is, it was Freer who started her down that dark road.

Driven by the guilt over his role in his ex-girlfriend's downfall, Freer decides to investigate her death personally. He starts with searching for three men in a white Cadillac who seem to be stalking Amelia's young son, now in the custody of her parents in a rich Atlanta suburb.

Pale in Death by Ed Brock

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News for a complete list of titles featured today.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Angel with a Bullet, A Dixie Flynn Mystery by M. C. Grant, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Midnight Ink …

Angel with a Bullet by M. C. Grant

Angel with a Bullet by M. C. Grant

A Dixie Flynn Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Price: $3.82 (as of 10/01/2015 at 4:00 PM ET).

Angel with a Bullet by M. C. Grant, Amazon Kindle format

Wisecracking reporter Dixie Flynn thinks fast and talks even faster — it's the only way to survive the San Francisco crime beat. When she's assigned to look into the death of her former lover, artist Diego Chino, Dixie's instincts tell her there's more behind the apparent suicide than the police are letting on.

Dixie's canvassing of the Bay Area art district reveals it to be a perfect picture of corruption, with a handsome art dealer and a reclusive patron in the foreground. After a romantic evening in Chinatown ends in a brush with death, Dixie is more determined than ever to expose the truth. But when a fire in her vicinity turns out to be more than just performance art, it's clear the perpetrators would rather see Dixie dead than let her destroy their criminal masterpiece.

Angel with a Bullet by M. C. Grant

See more mysteries from Midnight Ink priced at $3.82 each for Kindle.

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Murder, Plainly Read by Isabella Alan, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2015 …

Murder, Plainly Read by Isabella Alan

Murder, Plainly Read by Isabella Alan, An Angela Braddock, Amish Quilt Shop Mystery (4th in series)

Publisher: NAL

Murder, Plainly Read by Isabella Alan, Amazon Kindle format

With so much to do between running her shop and spending time with her new boyfriend, it's amazing Angie is able to help organize the Rolling Brook library's annual book sale. Luckily she's working alongside brash librarian Austina Shaker, a lady who isn't afraid to make waves to get books to her patrons — even the Amish. Unfortunately, this draws the ire of cranky Bartholomew Belier, an Old Order Amish bishop, who publicly vows to ruin Austina.

And she certainly might be ruined after Belier is found dead in her bookmobile. Now Angie must employ the help of her loyal quilting circle — as well as her beloved French bulldog, Oliver — if she hopes to prove Austina's innocence before the real killer books it …

Murder, Plainly Read by Isabella Alan

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for October 2015. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of October 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

The Raven in the Foregate, The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Open Road …

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael (12th in series)

Publisher: Open Road

Price: $1.99 (as of 10/01/2015 at 3:00 PM ET).

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters, Amazon Kindle format

When a harsh priest is drowned, Brother Cadfael discovers a long list of suspects, including a young man who isn't who he claims to be …

In a mild December in the year of our Lord 1141, a new priest comes to the parishioners of the Foregate outside the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Father Ailnoth brings with him a housekeeper and her nephew — and a disposition that invites murder.

Brother Cadfael quickly sees that father Ailnoth is a harsh man who, striding along in his black cassock, looks like a doomsaying raven. The housekeeper's nephew, Benet, is quite different — a smiling lad, a hard worker in Cadfael's herb garden, but, as Brother Cadfael soon discovers, an impostor. And when Ailnoth is found drowned, suspicion falls on Benet, though many in the Foregate had cause to want this priest dead. Now Brother Cadfael is gathering clues along with his medicinals to treat a case of unholy passions, tragic politics, and perhaps divine intervention.

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

You Are Dead by Peter James, New in Bookstores during October 2015

Today's featured new hardcover mystery, suspense, or thriller title scheduled to be published during October 2015 is …

You Are Dead by Peter James

You Are Dead by Peter James, a Roy Grace Mystery (11th in series)

Publisher: Minotaur Books

You Are Dead by Peter James, Amazon Kindle formatYou Are Dead by Peter James, Nook formatYou Are Dead by Peter James, iTune iBook formatYou Are Dead by Peter James, Kobo format

The last words Jamie Bell hears from his fiancee, Logan Somervile, are in a terrified mobile phone call from her. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the apartment block where they live in Brighton, and saw a man acting strangely. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and telephone.

That same afternoon, workmen digging up an old asphalt path in a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a young woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for 30 years.

At first, to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and his Major Crime Team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing and another body from the past surfaces. At the same time a strange man visits an eminent London psychiatrist, claiming to have a piece of information on the missing woman, Logan, that turns out, at first, to be wrong-or so it seems. It is only later Roy Grace makes the chilling realization that this one thing is the key to both the past and the present-and now, beyond any doubt, he knows that Brighton has its first ever serial killer.

You Are Dead by Peter James

For a list of more new hardcover titles to be published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for October 2015. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of October 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

Still Waters by Viveca Sten, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2015 …

Still Waters by Viveca Sten

Still Waters by Viveca Sten, A Sandham Murders Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: AmazonCrossing

Still Waters by Viveca Sten, Amazon Kindle format

On a hot July morning on Sweden's idyllic vacation island of Sandhamn, a man takes his dog for a walk and makes a gruesome discovery: a body, tangled in fishing net, has washed ashore.

Police detective Thomas Andreasson is the first to arrive on the scene. Before long, he has identified the deceased as Krister Berggren, a bachelor from the mainland who has been missing for months. All signs point to an accident — until another brutalized corpse is found at the local bed-and-breakfast. But this time it is Berggren's cousin, whom Thomas interviewed in Stockholm just days before.

As the island's residents reel from the news, Thomas turns to his childhood friend, local lawyer Nora Linde. Together, they attempt to unravel the riddles left behind by these two mysterious outsiders — while trying to make sense of the difficult twists their own lives have taken since the shared summer days of their youth.

Still Waters by Viveca Sten

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for October 2015. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of October 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

Berried to the Hilt, A Gray Whale Inn Mystery by Karen MacInerney, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Midnight Ink …

Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney

Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney

A Gray Whale Inn Mystery (4th in series)

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Price: $3.82 (as of 10/01/2015 at 1:00 PM ET).

Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney, Amazon Kindle format

When a lobsterman discovers a sunken ship, Cranberry Island is abuzz with excitement. Is the wreck the remains of the Myra Barton, the missing ship of island sea captain Jonah Selfridge? Or the elusive Black Marguerite, which belonged to one of the most notorious pirates of the 17th century and vanished without a trace — except for the ghost ship that old-timers say roams the water on fog-shrouded nights?

Soon the island is swarming with marine archaeologists and treasure hunters. It's good news for Natalie — and for the Gray Whale Inn — until a body turns up floating near the wreck. Natalie finds herself immersed in the world of pirates and sunken treasure, both past and present. Will she solve the mystery and find the killer in time? Or will Natalie be the next to join the lost ship's crew, down in Davy Jones' locker?

Berried to the Hilt by Karen MacInerney

See more mysteries from Midnight Ink priced at $3.82 each for Kindle.

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, A Gabriella Giovanni Mystery by Kristi Belcamino, New This Week from Witness Impulse

Every week, Witness Impulse — an imprint of William Morrow — releases new suspense and thriller digital originals, typically priced at just $2.99 or less each.

Omnimystery News is pleased to present you with one of this week's titles …

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Kristi Belcamino

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Kristi Belcamino

A Gabriella Giovanni Mystery (4th in series)

Publisher: Witness Impulse

Price: $1.99 (as of 10/01/2015 at 12:30 PM ET).

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Kristi Belcamino, Amazon Kindle format

San Francisco Bay Area reporter Gabriella Giovanni has finally got it all together: a devoted and loving boyfriend, Detective Sean Donovan; a beautiful little girl with him; and her dream job as the cops' reporter for the Bay Herald. But her success has been hard-won and has left her with debilitating paranoia. When a string of young co-eds starts to show up dead with suspicious Biblical verses left on their bodies — the same verses that the man she suspects kidnapped and murdered her sister twenty years ago had sent to her — she begins to question if the killer is trying to send her a message.

It is not until evil strikes Gabriella's own family that her worst fears are confirmed. As the clock begins to tick, every passing hour means the difference between life and death to those Gabriella loves …

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Kristi Belcamino

See all four books in the Gabriella Giovanni Mystery Series for $2.99 or less each on Kindle.

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News for a complete list of titles featured today.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

MysteriousPress.com Announces the Mysterious Press Award for Best E-Book Original Mystery Novel

Mysterious News

MysteriousPress.com has announced a $25,000 prize for the best e-book original mystery novel.

From the press release … Otto Penzler, President and Publisher of MysteriousPress.com, has announced a contest for the Mysterious Press Award, which will be given for the best e-book original mystery novel. The winning entry will receive a prize of $25,000 and guaranteed world-wide publication. The winner will be announced at the 2016 Frankfurt Book Fair [in October].

"Digitally published books have become a major element of the publishing landscape over the past few years," said Penzler. "Our goal is to acknowledge the outstanding work being produced in this format and reward it appropriately. We expect to have some truly wonderful manuscripts submitted for this substantial prize."

Among those sponsoring the contest will be MysteriousPress.com partners who distribute and market its books: Open Road, in North America and numerous countries around the world; Head of Zeus in the British Commonwealth; Hayakawa Publishing (Japan, Singapore, and South Korea), Bonnier (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland); Dutch Media Books (Holland and Belgium), and Bastei Lubbe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Greece, and selected Eastern European countries). MysteriousPress.com e-books are distributed in China by Trajectory.

Submissions will be accepted from January 1st through April 30th, 2016. Entries must be in English and submitted both electronically (to contest@mysteriouspress.com) and in printed format (to The Mysterious Press, 58 Warren Street, New York, N.Y. 10007). Limit of one book per author. Initial readings of manuscripts will be handled by editors and associates of MysteriousPress.com. The top three entries will then be circulated to its world-wide partners for a final decision.

The contest is open to established authors as well as first-time novelists. Submissions of complete, full-length novels will be accepted only from accredited literary agents and must never have been published previously in any format. All categories will be considered: Traditional detective stories, hard-boiled, noir, police procedural, suspense, crime, historical, humor — any book in which a crime, or the threat of a crime, is central to the theme or the plot. Horror, supernatural, fantasy, and science fiction works are not eligible. The winner will be chosen based on a variety of criteria, including originality and literary quality. Manuscripts will not be critiqued and will not be returned. Employees of Grove/Atlantic, the Mysterious Bookshop, and MysteriousPress.com and its partners are not eligible. See Official Rules for entry requirements and complete details at our website. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

The $25,000 prize will be an advance against future royalties. MysteriousPress.com will publish it as an e-book original with print-on-demand copies also available. World-wide partners will have all rights (excluding dramatic rights) to publish in all formats.

A Conversation with Mystery Author J.R. Scott

Omnimystery News: Author Interview with J.R. Scott

We are delighted to welcome author J.R. Scott to Omnimystery News today.

J.R. has written four mysteries featuring reporter Alie McCull, the most recent of which is The Horse Hide (Turquoise Morning Press; September 2015 ebook format). We recently had the opportunity to spend some time with him talking about the character and the series.

— ♦ —

Omnimystery News: Tell us a little more about Alie McCull.

J.R. Scott
Photo provided courtesy of
J.R. Scott

J.R. Scott: I fashioned Alie as a character who has a little bit of all of us in her. Or how deep down the way we'd like to be; loud, brash and impatient with a world that seems unjust. But tempered with empathy for the little guy trampled on by society. And Alie is not always "politically correct", not too concerned about offending people. Just because you tick off someone doesn't mean you're not right. As a woman, Alie has a strong sense of empowerment and equality. Using her as a recurring character is a literary tool to examine the world through a microscope. All the people under the lens are creatures just trying to make sense of events in their daily lives.

OMN: How has she developed over the course of the series?

JRS: In Medallion, the first book of the series, Alie is introduced as an underdog in the masculine world of news reporting. By the end of the book Alie has made the precarious jump into the deep end of the man-pool of credibility that she builds upon in the following three books of the series.

OMN: How would you tweet a summary of The Horse Hide?

JRS: Murder on the Racetracks, Love on the Rocks, A Poisonous Conspiracy.

OMN: How much of your own personal or professional experience have you included in the books?

JRS: I worked for several years as a standup comic and filmmaker in the Midwest. As a standup comic I painfully learned how quickly an audience will turn on you if you don't develop the fine art of timing, editing and storytelling; you have to be quick on your feet. As a filmmaker I followed the same path to hone my craft. These disciplines easily translate to writing a novel. Did I mention timing?

Each of the Alie McCull books has a thread of an actual historical event tied to the story. In the 50's Los Angeles had a contaminated horse meat scandal that went statewide. In the other three books we discuss police abuse, government conspiracies and guilt by association.

OMN: Describe your writing process for us.

JRS: Like many story tellers, I think of my prose as a combination of a word soup mixed with Lincoln Log metaphors. I try not to bore the reader with long-winded descriptions and dialogue; keep it short and sweet. And to the point. Otherwise after one or two paragraphs people may lose interest and slip into comas. Plotting a novel is like a mental jigsaw puzzle with the pieces lying face down. After stumbling upon a concept I storyboard the "script", similar to filmmaking. Concepts become chapters and chapters turn into scenes until the jigsaw puzzle pieces are flipped over one-by-one and the narrative begins to take shape. I really do very little rewriting, but tons of editing. My writing is very personal; to me cutting even one paragraph is as painful as sawing off an arm with a dull butter knife. It can be pretty darned annoying at times.

OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories?

JRS: Because the Alie McCull mystery series take place primarily in Los Angeles during the early and mid-1950's, I spend hours upon hours researching the Internet and source books at the local library to verify my facts. I check the old street maps, historical records and statistics that I'm able to dig up to authenticate the data. The most exciting stuff in my research is the true-to-life government conspiracies that are well-hidden by the fog of the past. And when my fact-finding hits a dead end, I make up stuff.

OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author? And what might you say to aspiring writers?

JRS: The best advice I've received is to not to be derivative. How many stories have been read, regardless of the genre, that haven't already been told a dozen times before and beaten in to the ground? My goal with the four Alie McCull books is to balance the past with the present to bridge that cultural gap and try to entertain the reader at the same time. The harshest criticism I've received is that my work violates the "show, don't tell" concept, which I disagree with; the objective in writing is to find the right balance of telling versus showing. Adjectives are not evil, kiddies.

What is my advice to aspiring writers? After all is said and done, make sure your dialogue rings true; i.e., during a normal conversation most people do NOT cuss like drunken sailors or drop the "F" bomb every other sentence. Gauge your reading audience, folks.

OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery author and thus I am also …".

JRS: I am a mystery author and thus I am also suffering from a deep-seated anxiety with a dark spot in my soul. I'm surprised that my children didn't grow up to be axe murders; at least I don't think they did. I haven't read a newspaper in years.

OMN: You're published as written by J.R. Scott. Why did you choose to use your initials?

JRS: I go by J.R. Scott as my pen name for a simple reason; my given birth name is John Robert Scott, which is cool unless you want to find me in the phone book or on the Internet. There are literally hundreds of us with the same name in every city across the country. So much so that once in a while when a John Robert Scott shows up in the obituaries, the flowers come to my house. I can't resell the damn flowers, so I decided to use the pen name instead. Even using J.R. Scott can be a little bit dicey.

OMN: How did you come up with the titles for your books?

JRS: The titles of all of my books are used as a hook; typically a character mentions the title as part of the denouement that ties into the story. This is a pretty common narrative tool.

OMN: How involved were you with the cover design?

JRS: The cover design was created by The Turquoise Morning Press (Cover design by Calliope-Designs.com)

OMN: Have any specific authors influenced how and what your write today?

JRS: I've always been fascinated by the old '50s and '60s hardboiled mystery novels I read as kid, Ross MacDonald and Mickey Spillane being on the hit list. And the classic noir films that pop up on TMC every so often. The backdrop of The Horse Hide came from the hours spent on tedious research that most writers do, but afterwards always gives me that pesky brain damaged feeling.

OMN: When selecting a book to read for pleasure, what do you look for?

JRS: I spend my reading time in an alternate dimension; non-fiction historical works (i.e., Shelby Foot's civil war series) and biographies such as Hillenbrand's Unbroken. As it's been said, if we don't study the past, we'll be doomed to repeat it. Which we'll probably do anyhow, hopefully with a little more finesse the second time around.

OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.

JRS: Top 5 books …

The Sirens of Titan — Kurt Vonnegut;
Catch-22 — Joseph Heller;
• Anything by Agatha Christie;
• Anything by Mark Twain; and
Sammie the Seasick Sea Lion — author unknown.

OMN: What's next for you?

JRS: The fifth Alie McCull mystery/novel is in the works. While each of the previous books can be read as a stand-alone, they all interconnect the life of the spunky reporter. In the fifth book, we turn the page back three years to explore the events that mold Alie's future as a crime busting investigator. I can't wait to read it.

— ♦ —

J.R. Scott grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and currently resides in Southern California. The former TV producer, independent film maker and standup comedian has written four books for die-hard mystery-thriller fans who love a pulse-pounding yarn with a roller coaster ride of tense action and suspense on a backdrop of 1950s nostalgia.

For more information about the author, please visit his website at JRScottAuthor.com.

— ♦ —

The Horse Hide by J.R. Scott

The Horse Hide by J.R. Scott

An Alie McCull Mystery

Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press

Amazon.com Print/Kindle Format(s)BN.com Print/Nook Format(s)

Death paid an unexpected visit. The brutal murder at a racetrack and two kidnapped thoroughbreds snarls Alie McCull in a web of lies, deceit, and half-truths. After poisoned horsemeat smuggled from Mexico makes people drop dead, the reporter wades into one part of a mystery she is determined to solve.

When Alie's world is torn apart by the sting of infidelity and an old flame who might be covering up a gruesome secret, she knows one wrong move might be her last as she investigates the provocative conspiracy behind The Horse Hide.

The Horse Hide by J.R. Scott

Today's Selection of Free MystereBooks for Thursday, October 01, 2015

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of Free MystereBooks found on Thursday, October 01, 2015 at 7:00 AM ET …

Night Watchman by Tony Dunbar

Night Watchman by Tony Dunbar

A Tubby Dubonnet Mystery

Publisher: booksBnimble Mysteries

Price: FREE!

Night Watchman by Tony Dunbar, Amazon Kindle format

Sabine by Lacey Edward

Sabine by Lacey Edward

The Remembering Raven, Paranormal Romantic Mystery Series

Publisher: Asselin Group

Price: FREE!

Sabine by Lacey Edward, Amazon Kindle format

The Protocol by J. Robert Kennedy

The Protocol by J. Robert Kennedy

A James Acton Thriller

Publisher: J. Robert Kennedy

Price: FREE!

The Protocol by J. Robert Kennedy, Amazon Kindle format

Rogue Operator by J. Robert Kennedy

Rogue Operator by J. Robert Kennedy

A Special Agent Dylan Kane Thriller

Publisher: J. Robert Kennedy

Price: FREE!

Rogue Operator by J. Robert Kennedy, Amazon Kindle format

Harvest Homicide by Steven M. Wells

Harvest Homicide by Steven M. Wells

The Winemaker Series

Publisher: Overlake Media

Price: FREE!

Harvest Homicide by Steven M. Wells, Amazon Kindle format

Bad Medicine by Caroline Fardig

Bad Medicine by Caroline Fardig

A Lizzie Hart Mystery

Publisher: Caroline Fardig

Price: FREE!

Bad Medicine by Caroline Fardig, Amazon Kindle format

Dream Stalker by Sandra S. Kerns

Dream Stalker by Sandra S. Kerns

The Colorado Skies Series

Publisher: Sandra S. Kerns

Price: FREE!

Dream Stalker by Sandra S. Kerns, Amazon Kindle format

Fish House by Stephen Dougherty

Fish House by Stephen Dougherty

A Thriller

Publisher: Stephen Dougherty

Price: FREE!

Fish House by Stephen Dougherty, Amazon Kindle format

This is a repeat freebie that was last featured on our site on January 10, 2013.

Murder and Other Distractions by Michael Estrin

Murder and Other Distractions by Michael Estrin

Publisher: Odyssey Books

Price: FREE!

Murder and Other Distractions by Michael Estrin, Amazon Kindle format

This is a repeat freebie that was last featured on our site on October 25, 2012.

For a summary of all of today's titles, plus any that may have been added since this post was created, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

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