Phyllis Zimbler Miller - An Author Interview in the HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Author Phyllis Z. Miller. She writes YA, Mystery & Thrillers plus she is a Book Publishing Marketing expert. Phyllis also writes nonfiction books, including ebooks to help authors market online.

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

Website: Phyllis Zimbler Miller
Author's Blog: Phyllis Zimbler Miller
Twitter: @ZimblerMiller
E-Mail: pzmiller@gmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


Author Description:
WELCOME TO THE AMAZON FICTION BOOKS PROFILE OF PHYLLIS ZIMBLER MILLER

(See her non-fiction books by Phyllis Z. Miller on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/phylliszmiller and her YA fiction book PINKY SWEAR by P. Z. Miller on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/pzmiller).

Phyllis Zimbler Miller was raised in Elgin, Illinois, and majored in journalism at Michigan State University, where she met her future husband, Army ROTC cadet Mitchell R. Miller, on the State News editorial staff.

In May of 1970 Mitch went on active duty at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and Phyllis tagged along with him. Her women's friendship novel MRS. LIEUTENANT is inspired by the nine weeks they spent at Ft. Knox.

From September 1970 to May 1972 Phyllis and Mitch were stationed in Munich, Germany, where Mitch served with the 18th Military Intelligence Battalion.

Phyllis eventually got a security clearance and worked as a civilian with the 66th MI Group. Her romantic suspense spy thriller CIA FALL GUY is partially based on knowledge she learned on this job (reports she typed went to the Munich office of the CIA).

After Mitch's military service, while living in Philadelphia, Phyllis was an editor and reporter for the Jewish Exponent before earning an M.B.A. at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her Wharton experience is the starting point for her Los Angeles-based cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE.

(Two short stories in TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE feature Rebecca Stone, the same protagonist as in CAST THE FIRST STONE. Both books include kosher recipes from Phyllis' 1992 Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION written with Rabbi Karen L. Fox.)

Phyllis and Mitch moved to Los Angeles in 1980, and Phyllis held positions at TigerAir and Max Factor. She then worked as a marketing consultant while their two daughters were young, and she was the founding president of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

In 2008 Phyllis co-founded an online marketing company at the same time she self-published her novel MRS. LIEUTENANT, which was selected as a 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist. Phyllis dove into the world of blogging, social media, and online book marketing.

Phyllis and Mitch have maintained an interest in military intelligence, and Mitch is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and the U.S. Naval Institute while Phyllis is a member of the Military Writers Society of America. Together Phyllis and Mitch wrote the military thriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS.

Phyllis frequently blogs about PTSD to help spread information about this. Her short story SOLOMON'S JUSTICE was inspired by her visit to the Los Angeles County Veterans Court.

Phyllis is experimenting with writing a novel entirely on the site Wattpad. You can read for free the chapters of THE MOTHER SIEGE: A DYSTOPIAN THRILLER by clicking the dropdown table of contents at http://budurl.com/Msintro

Phyllis and Mitch now live in Beverly Hills, where Mitch has been a tax lawyer for many years and Phyllis is busy working with online marketing clients as well as writing more books and blogging about author topics at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com


SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

First things first. Let’s start with what’s next. Do you have another book on the horizon? Will it be in the world of Mystery, another YA novel or a Publishing Industry How to book? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Besides the fiction project on Wattpad -- THE MOTHER SIEGE: A DYSTOPIAN THRILLER -- and my new nonfiction project on Wattpad -- TALES OF AN AMERICAN OCCUPYING GERMANY: A COLD WAR MEMOIR -- I am finishing the short screwball romantic comedy novel HOT POTATO written with my husband. It's an homage to the movie "Bringing Up Baby" although based on an actual fact that inspired the story. And I do hope I'll have it on Kindle by the beginning of November. I also have a couple of early drafts of more outings for Rebecca Stone that I hope to get to in the next few months.

For a limited time get a free Kindle copy of PINKY SWEAR, a short story, at: http://www.phylliszimblermiller.com/keep-in-touch/

You have a good following on twitter. Since you started before the social media buzz, what impact has social media relationships had on your writing and business success?

I've been on Twitter for over five years and I love it as a source for sharing information. I do think it has helped get out info about my books, but for me the most important aspect is the online friendships that have resulted.

Have you created a book trailer for any of your books to promote them online? Do you recommend to authors to create trailers to market their books?

I did have a book trailer created for MRS. LIEUTENANT, but the trailer is out of date now as the novel now has a new cover. And I recently had a 14-second trailer made for CIA FALL GUY. But I have to say in my personal opinion that book trailers do not necessarily sell books. If an author's marketing budget is limited, I would not recommend spending that budget on a trailer.

You have written several short stories. Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are your shorty’s created to give readers a sample of your work?

I do not think the short stories I have written have had any impact on the sales of my novel. I did not write these to give readers a sample of my work -- I use Amazon's KDP Select for that. I wrote SOLOMON'S JUSTICE because of my long-standing interest in helping to spread information to veterans about PTSD. And I wrote PINKY SWEAR because I was interested in exploring one of the four POV characters from MRS. LIEUTENANT as a teen. That said, I do hope that readers who enjoyed CAST THE FIRST STONE will read the two Rebecca Stone short stories in TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE.

Besides the Sisters in Crime, what other writer support groups do you belong too? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process?

Years ago I was in a private writers group and we all contributed to helping each other improve our writing. I also took many writing courses at UCLA Extension plus I bought and read lots of Writers Digest books. (One of the hardest things for me to master was POV character -- only being inside of the head of that character and no one else in a specific scene.) Nowadays I learn a great deal about writing, marketing and publishing from other people on social media sites.

Between your book writing, blogging, marketing, consulting business, family and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do your sort of play it by ear?

I don't have a set schedule so it is a constant juggling act to work on everything that interests me. I do a lot of writing away from the computer -- mentally in the shower, etc. where scenes or blog posts come to me that I later write.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I have done several giveaways on Goodreads and I'm not sure whether these made any difference on that site. But depending on how successful a particular free giveaway is via KDP Select, afterwards I usually see somewhat of an uptick in sales. And because I have several books on Kindle, I included the links to the other books in each ebook. Thus by giving away books I hope to encourage sales of other of my books.

You publish under several names and genres. Does changing hats create any problems? Any tricks you can share with us? Which genre did you enjoy writing the most? Does moving from one to the other give you some breathing room? Doing more than one project at a time create any problems?

First, let me clear up something. I am actually only publishing under my own name, Phyllis Zimbler Miller. But I recently separated my Amazon Author Central accounts into three variations of my name in order to separate the genres in which I write. I realized that, for example, when readers of my fiction came to www.amazon.com/author/phylliszimblermiller to see other of my fiction books that might interest them, they were as likely to see my nonfiction books first and thus think I had no other fiction books. Now all my nonfiction books are under Phyllis Z. Miller and my YA story, which is a placeholder for some children's picture books I am considering, writing, is P. Z. Miller.

In terms of going back and forth between projects, I don't have any issues. I started out in my adult life as a print journalist, and that training to write on deadline and to switch to new projects quickly has come in very handy. I most enjoy writing fiction books and informative blog posts. I have also written screenplays, some with my husband and some solo, and that is a challenge because there are no POV characters and no internal monologues. In fact, I still have problems writing good screenplay subtext, which means information not conveyed by "on the nose" dialogue.

You have a great blog. You do a great job keeping readers informed, marketing your books and providing useful information to other writers. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?

I have always loved to tell people what to do -- by which I mean share helpful information. So blogging is a natural for me. But I admit that I am doing less blogging than I did five years ago as I expand the number of book writing projects that I am doing. And much of my author blogging is sharing with others the information I have learned for myself. Plus I am very disciplined and do not lose track of time on social media. I think this ability goes back to my journalism training -- blocking out everything but the task at hand.

Now to the good part. How can readers get involved in the PTSD problem? Tell us briefly how your short story, SOLOMON'S JUSTICE, (see book blurb below) is connected with this important problem?

My dream project is to have SOLOMON'S JUSTICE become a series TV drama. (I have written the pilot script for this.) I believe that fiction often has the power to spread information more effectively than public service announcements, documentaries, etc. People become connected to their favorite TV drama characters, and the problems of fictional people can help spread awareness of real issues.

I hope that people reading the short story of SOLOMON'S JUSTICE -- or people reading this interview -- who have connections to TV producers might share the information at www.SolomonsJustice.com and I can be reached in Los Angeles at the above email address. It is important to note that PTSD does not only affect military personnel. I am also interested in spreading information about non-combat trauma PTSD, which I deal with in my cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE. Everyone should know the symptoms of PTSD so that they can be aware if they have friends or family exhibiting these symptoms and who need help. Check out the information at my site www.insupportofourtroops.com/ptsd-info

Author's Book List
Solomon's Justice - A PTSD Short Story
Helping Veterans Suffering From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Although this short story is fiction and meant to be entertaining, it is based on research and true anecdotes concerning veterans suffering from PTSD. It is the author's hope that readers will enjoy the story as well as be encouraged to understand and support veterans and others suffering from PTSD.


Order the Book From: Amazon

Cast the First Stone - A Rebecca Stone Mystery
Cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE introduces Los Angeles business reporter Rebecca Stone:

When asked to investigate the murder of a Wharton professor spending the summer term at UCLA, Rebecca Stone must also grapple with partnering with her former fiancé who broke off their engagement to pursue a career on Wall Street.

Recipes from the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION by Rabbi Karen L. Fox and Phyllis Zimbler Miller (available on Amazon) are included in this cozy mystery.See the followup outing for amateur sleuth Rebecca Stone in TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE: REBECCA STONE MYSTERY SHORT STORIES at amzn.to/UWeFsa


Order the Book From: Amazon


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Top Tips for How to Publish Your Book in the Age of Kindle - Action Steps You Can Do Immediately Whether You Are Unpublished or Already Published
This very short ebook will give you the important information to help you make a decision and then to implement and market your ebook.

Table of Contents:

WHY SELF-PUBLISH?
BEWARE OF LOSING CONTROL OF YOUR OWN SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK WHY KINDLE?
USING KINDLE OPPORTUNITIES TO MARKET YOUR BOOKS
ADDITIONAL MARKETING IDEAS
WHY ONLY AMAZON?
UPLOADING YOUR EBOOK TO KDP
GRAMMAR TIP SHEET
END NOTES


Order the Book From: Amazon





Top Tips for How to Market on the Internet With Pictures - Action Steps You Can Do Immediately Whether You Are an Expert or a Novice
Praise for TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET ON THE INTERNET WITH PICTURES:"In her second Top Tips guide, Phyllis Zimbler Miller has managed to create a fascinating narrative explaining how to make the most of photographs--a basic but often ignored or misused marketing tool…I've bought $25 and $30 books that don't have as many practical, actionable ideas and examples as are included here--for a fraction of the cost. Just one idea can make a big difference to the image you project online to prospects and followers!"--Roger C. Parker, author and coach

Want to know:

How to have your picture show up next to a blog comment?

How to use Pinterest to market your products or services?

The dimensions for creating cover images for Facebook Pages and Google Plus?

And other uses for pictures on the Internet that help promote your brand, book or business?

Get this short book now, read it once, and then start implementing the recommendations.

Chapters in the book are:

INTRODUCTION
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS: SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
FROM AMAZON WITH LOVE
PINTEREST: PRETTY AS A PICTURE
PICTURES ARE EYE CANDY ON WEBSITES AND BLOGS
STANDOUT COVER IMAGES ON FACEBOOK AND GOOGLE PLUS
YOU OUGHT TO BE IN (MOVING) PICTURES
OFFLINE USE OF YOUR PICTURES
CONCLUDING REMARKS; RECOMMENDED BOOKS


Order the Book From: Amazon

Top Tips for How to Market Your Book on Amazon and Facebook - Action Steps You Can Do Immediately Whether You Are Traditionally Published or Self-Published
Praise for TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK:"I really appreciated that the ebook was short -- no unnecessary fillers here. Just plenty of instruction. Short. Accurate. Perfect."--Dianne Greenlay, author of "Quintspinner -- A Pirate's Quest"

"Phyllis Zimbler Miller didn't miss a trick in explaining how to succeed on Amazon and Facebook."--Debra L. Chapoton, author of "Edge of Escape"

"I have several books already on Amazon and learned several things that I immediately put into practice. For that, I think the book is a steal and well worth the money."--Michael Martel, author of "Get Er Done: The Green Beret Guide to Productivity"

Do you know how to market your book on Amazon and Facebook? Whether you are traditionally published or self-published, you can benefit from these free opportunities to market your book.

This short book TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK is a how-to to quickly and correctly start using Amazon and Facebook as part of your book marketing efforts.

Here are the major Amazon and Facebook book marketing components:

FIRST STEPS ON AMAZON: CREATE AN AMAZON PUBLIC PROFILE

FIRST STEPS ON FACEBOOK: CREATE A FACEBOOK PERSONAL PROFILE

SECOND STEPS ON AMAZON: CREATE AN AUTHOR CENTRAL PAGE

SECOND STEPS ON FACEBOOK: CREATE A FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE KINDLE DIRECT PUBLISHING (KDP)

AMAZON AND KINDLE CATEGORIES

AMAZON ON FACEBOOK

Get TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK right now, read it once to learn how to market your book on Amazon and Facebook, then turn on your computer and follow along with the book marketing tips to rev up your online book marketing today!


Order the Book From: Amazon

CIA Fall Guy - A Spy Thriller
It is 1997 and the Cold War is over. Or can events that took place 25 years before then suddenly come to the fore?

For fans of the romantic suspense spy stories by Helen MacInnes and Dorothy Gilman --"CIA Fall Guy brought me into an experience laced with history & contemporary intrigue. Believable characters that I want to meet again! A great weekend escape."--Karen Fox

"Take mild mannered Beth Parsons, add a couple of CIA agents and double agents and a few Germans for good measure, and what you get is a fast paced thriller of intrigue and mystery."--Jeffrey Miller, author of "War Remains"

"This is a short mystery thriller with a sprinkling of humor and dashes of romance that will seduce any fan of fiction."--Margaret McMillion, author of "Personal Baggage"

When Beth Parsons is summoned to CIA headquarters for the bogus purpose of identifying someone from her past, she realizes she must find out what is really going on. Forced to partner with the man who may have been responsible for her husband's death, she has to unmask the real traitors or end up as the fall guy.

After the CIA driver who brought her to D.C. is shot and killed, Beth escapes her CIA "babysitter" and sets off to discover why she is suddenly once again in the world of spies and double agents.

Her quest takes her to Europe and then back to the U.S., and pairs her with a mysterious man who may or may not be on her side.

If you like espionage stories and tales of intrigue -- especially ones with a dash of romantic suspense, CIA FALL GUY is for you!


Order the Book From: Amazon

Lt. Commander Mollie Sanders - A Military Thriller
Praise for LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS -- (a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy is equivalent to a major in the U.S.Army):

"This book is certainly full of action, a page turner, most entertaining and a quick read."--Joan A. Adamak

"While much of the story line about the lead character, Lt. Cdr. Sanders, stretches reality a little, it's fun reading. One of my favorite authors, James Patterson, stretches reality as well. As an X-Air Craft Carrier based veteran, I found the story fast moving and entertaining."--Brad Nelson

"Lt. Commander Mollie Sanders is a great read. She embodies the traits of Ziva of NCIS fame. A strong woman operating in a man's world. I can't wait for another book extolling the exploits of Mollie Sanders."--William G. Knapp

For those who love sea adventures (including submarines) and technothrillers:

Lt. Commander Mollie Sanders is a U.S. Navy officer who has striven to be the best even if it earns her enemies. A graduate of the Naval Academy, she is an electronic weapons officer tasked with coming up with new weapon designs.

When she gets assigned to an aircraft carrier as a Navy fighter pilot's backseater, a missile attack on her plane leads to a mission to try to save the port of Los Angeles from a suspected terrorist attack.

She must channel her overwhelming competitive drive in order to work as a team with other Navy personnel and the Coast Guards to find a needle in a haystack.

From there a twist in the mission takes her to Alaska, where the anti-missile defense site may have been compromised.

Next she bulldozes her way into being the first female assigned to a sub smaller than a boomer. She wants to be the one to test the new defensive weapons system she designed as the sub undertakes a reconnaissance mission to the hotly contested South China Sea.

She is unaware that her past is about to catch up to her present in a bizarre situation she could never have foreseen.

This U.S. Navy submarine sea adventure is a fast-paced thriller.

(Military note: Just as in the U.S. Army a lieutenant colonel is addressed as "Colonel," in the U.S. Navy a lieutenant commander is addressed as "Commander.")


Order the Book From: Amazon

Mrs. Lieutenant - A Women's Friendship Novel
This 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist is a story of unexpected women's friendship.

"Miller captures the freshness and naiveté of those women, all transplanted to an environment that forced them to deal with new challenges."--Dr. Cathy Goodwin, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer

"I loved MRS. LIEUTENANT. Reading it brought back for me, a military wife, memories of the Vietnam War era, when so many of our young men were in uniform due to the draft, and memories of what it was like being in the sub-culture of the military as a new Army wife." --Mary Raynor

"This book should be required reading for every contemporary military spouse, the families of our servicemen and women, and civilians who want to understand the lifestyle of our men and women in uniform. The military isn't just a job or career, it is a WAY OF LIFE that can't be fully understood by those who haven't lived it. Phyllis Zimbler Miller's MRS. LIEUTENANT makes it clear--this is a life she understands at the deepest level." --Bonnie Bartel Latino, co-author of "Your Gift to Me"

"Phyllis Zimbler Miller's MRS. LIEUTENANT is one of those stellar reads that keep you engaged from the first word to the last, and how long or how short the book is doesn't concern you at all. Keep a box of tissues handy, because you'll need it; I certainly did, and more than once." --George Polley, author of "Grandfather & the Raven"

When newly married Sharon Gold suddenly finds herself in the unfamiliar culture of the U.S. Army during the unpopular Vietnam War, she realizes she must quickly adapt to this alien world. If she does not learn to "fit in," the consequences could have a severe impact on her husband.

The women's friendship she unexpectedly experiences turns out to be her lifesaver.


Order the Book From: Amazon

Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
HBS eBook Author’s Corner
HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle

Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Cheryl Bradshaw - Bed of Bones is featured on the HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase

The Showcase is a special feature of the Author's Spotlight. It is designed to highlight Spotlight author's NEW releases and their soon to be released novels.

The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Cheryl Bradshaw's Book:
Bed of Bones

Bed of Bones

A Sloane Monroe Novel, Book Five

Author: Cheryl Bradshaw


AVAILABLE
Amazon


Sometimes even the deepest, darkest secrets find their way to the surface…

Summer 1956

Thirteen-year-old Willie Compton and his younger brother Leonard stumble upon a mine shaft while hiking the hills of Park City, Utah. The shaft is unsealed, abandoned. While Leonard stares at the hole in wonderment, a Slinky he’s been flipping back and forth between his hands slithers through his fingers, tumbling toward the mouth of the shaft. Leonard bolts forward, reaches out to grab it, but he slips, then he falls.

Present Day

Up-and-coming filmmaker Melody Sinclair stirs in her chair, nervously awaiting the debut of her film at the Sundance Film Festival. Based on a true story, Bed of Bones tells a tale of murder, shining a big, bold light on Park City’s tragic past. A past that’s about to revisit the present.

Reviews

The descriptions were very vivid and often made me feel like I was a part of the story.

The story grabs you early, and takes you for a wild ride to the end. The plot is intricate, and the many twists and turns leave you hanging onto every word, keeping you spellbound and captivated.

Bed of Bones is one of the best books I have ever read. It kept my attention from page one and made me want more as the book ended. The plot is full of twists and turns so you never know what is going to happen next.

Cheryl is one of the very few authors who can capture you in the first few pages and keep you involved all the way through her stories. Bed of Bones was no exception, and I just loved it.

The author does a wonderful job of blending the history of Park City into this fast paced, modern-day novel that combines the best elements of both the mystery and the thriller genres.

I didn't see the end coming at all and I literally screamed, "What?Seriously?!" in the middle of the night while I was reading, and woke my husband! Can't wait for the next Sloane Monroe book!

Excerpt

JUNE 1956

Willie wiped his dirt-stained hands across the sides of his jeans and cocked his head to the side, eyeballing his younger brother, who lagged behind. “Come on, Leonard! Why ya gotta be such a drag all the time? We’ll never get where we’re goin’ if we don’t hustle.”

“You’re walkin’ too fast,” Leonard sniffed. “Wait up!”

Willie didn’t turn around. He didn’t stop. He didn’t even slow down. He lengthened his stride and kept on going. “Quit whining, ya big baby, or next time I’ll leave ya home.”

Leonard kicked a pebble with his shoe. It sailed across the open field, narrowly missing Willie’s head when it whizzed by. “Don’t call me that!”

“What—a baby?”

“Yeah. Don’t. I’m seven. Babies are…well…babies.”

“Well, that’s what ya are, aren’t ya?” When Leonard failed to respond, Willie glanced back, knowing exactly what he’d see when he did.

Leonard’s face had turned as red as their dad’s BMW 507—not because he was embarrassed and not because of the heat. He was about to get angry. When that happened, Leonard’s forehead broke out in an overabundance of dots that made him look like he had the chicken pox. “Hey, I was just kiddin’ around, Leonard. Ya know that, right?”

“Mom said we weren’t allowed to go past the fence, and I can’t see it anymore. We’re gonna get in trouble, Willie. I just know it.”

“Nothing is goin’ to happen, all right? Mom and Dad won’t find out unless one of us tells ’em. This is our little secret. Okay?” Willie shoved a hand inside his pocket, removed a plastic comb, and slicked it through his sandy-brown hair. At thirteen years old, he was practically a man. At least he liked to think so. He’d matured a good deal faster than all of his friends. While their voices remained high-pitched and squeaky, his was deep, like his dad’s. He didn’t look much like him though; he looked like his idol, James Dean. A year before when James was killed in a fatal car accident, Willie paid tribute by ditching his Chinos and collared shirts for jeans and plain white tees. He’d even talked his mother into buying him a leather jacket at Christmas to complete the look. At school he was ridiculed by his male classmates. He didn’t care. None of them had a fifteen-year-old girlfriend. He did.

“How much longer?” Leonard mumbled. “I wanna go home.”

“We will, just as soon as I find what I’m lookin’ for.”

“Not this home,” Leonard said, “our real one. I hate it here.”

Willie hated it too. Park City was the most boring place he’d ever visited in his life. Day after day they sat around with nothing to do, waiting for their dad to sign the paperwork over to a developer who had big plans for his grandfather’s land. They were only supposed to be here for a week. It had been more than two. He didn’t know why his dad kept going back and forth, negotiating every last detail with the realtor, and he didn’t care either. All he wanted was to get back to Chicago, to his own room, his friends, and most of all, blue-eyed, blond-haired Betty.

“It’s hot.” Leonard wiped the sweat from his brow and flicked it into the air.

“We’re almost there. Ya see it?”

“See what?”

“The hole.”

“What hole?”

Willie stopped. When Leonard caught up, Willie placed his hands on his brother’s head, directing him to a large, black, squarish spot on the ground several feet below.

“What is it?” Leonard asked.

“A mine shaft.”

“A what?”

“Men used to go down that hole, get stuff out of the ground, and sell it. Made lots of money too, from what Dad said.” Willie tested the soft dirt in front of him and then stepped forward, making his way to the bottom of the hill. “Ya best step where I step, okay? I don’t need ya breakin’ a leg out here. You dig?”

Leonard nodded.

“This place wasn’t always a ghost town,” Willie said.

Leonard swallowed—hard. “There are…ghosts here?”

Willie reached back, patting Leonard’s arm. “Not real ones, dipstick. A ghost town is a place people leave behind—the buildings are still here, but not the people. Not many of them, anyway.”

“Is that why most of the stores in town are closed?” Leonard asked.

“Now yer getting’ it.”

“Why’d they all leave?”

“Hated it, probably. Same as us.”

“Why would they leave all that money?” Leonard asked.

“Maybe it ran out. Maybe they got everything they could out of the ground and there wasn’t any more left.”

“Is that why grandpa moved here—for money?”

Willie shrugged. “When gramps was alive, he was in charge of a whole crew of guys. Made loads of cash and bought land with it. That’s why we’re here.” Willie reached the opening of the mine and knelt down. “Outta sight! Leonard, check this out.”

“Is it safe? It doesn’t look safe.”

“’Course it is. It’s not like we’re going in. We’re just takin’ a peek. Nothin’ wrong with that.”

Leonard bent down next to Willie. “How far down do you think it goes?”

“I dunno. Why don’t ya hop on in and find out?”

Willie walked over to a rock a few feet away and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. He flipped one into his mouth, lit up, and took a nice, long drag.

Leonard sat on the rock next to him. “Dad know you have those?”

Willie twisted the sleeve on Leonard’s shirt and yanked him close. “No, and you’re not gonna tell him either.”

“I won’t—let go!”

The two sat in silence for the next two minutes, Willie taking occasional puffs on the cigarette and Leonard flipping a Slinky back and forth between his hands.

Willie finished the cigarette, stood, and flicked the butt out of his hands, smashing it into the scorching earth with his foot until he couldn’t see it any longer. “Come on. We’d better get back.”

Leonard hopped off the rock. The Slinky slipped out of his hand and tumbled into the mouth of the shaft, catching on a patch of sagebrush just inside. “My Slinky!”

“Leave it,” Willie said. “You can get another one.”

“I don’t want another one. I bought it with my own money. It took a whole month to save up for it.” Before Willie could interject a second time, Leonard had bolted forward until he was close enough to the Slinky to reach down and grab it.

“Leonard, no!” Willie yelled. “Don’t!”

The next few seconds moved like a Ferris wheel in slow motion. Leonard reached for the Slinky, but it broke free of the sagebrush, sinking into the blackness. He leaned over, gazed into the shaft. And then he made a big mistake. He tried to stand, but the pebbly rocks beneath his feet offered no traction. He slipped, plummeting feet first into the mine. A blood-curdling scream followed, echoing through the shaft.

In seconds Willie reached the opening. He squealed his brother’s name then listened, hoping to hear even the smallest indication that his brother was still alive, but he heard nothing. “Leonard, can ya hear me?”

Silence.

“Please Leonard, please! Say something! Anything! Let me know yer there.”

Silence.

Tears streamed down Willie’s cheeks, making his face feel sticky. He stood, still, unsure of what to do next. Should he stay—try to figure out how to get down the hole? He had no idea how deep it was. A few feet? A few hundred feet? A thousand? Did he leave his brother all alone and go for help? What if Leonard spoke and no one was there to hear him? He knew if he stayed, Leonard could die, if he wasn’t dead already. A wave of guilt rushed over him.

Oh please, let him still be alive—please!

Five minutes ago, he’d have given anything to stop Leonard from asking any more questions, but now he’d give his own life just to hear his brother’s tiny, angelic voice again.

Don’t just stand here doing nothing, Willie. Think! What would Dad do?

He bent down and cupped his hands around both sides of his mouth. “Leonard, if ya can hear me, I’m goin’ to get Mom and Dad. I’ll be right back. I promise. I’m so…I’m so sorry. Ya hear me? I’m sorry…”

Willie sprinted toward his grandfather’s house, his limbs experiencing an increasing burning sensation with every step. His entire body could burst into flames for all he cared—he’d risk anything to save his brother’s life.

PRESENT DAY, 11:30 PM

Melody Sinclair hoisted a leg over the seat in front of her, slouched down, and scanned the room, eyeballing the men and women shuffling through the aisles of the old theater. Although each was unique in his or her own way, all of them displayed one distinct commonality: they were bundled up like they’d trekked through a blizzard to get here. January in Park City, Utah, had this effect on people. With outside temperatures dipping into the twenties and thirties, the majority of tourists in town for the annual Sundance Film Festival made haste. There was no escaping Old Man Winter. Not here.

Exuberant moviegoers took their seats, slowly shedding one layer of clothing after the other. Idle chatter began soon after, spreading through the air like the murmuring ripple of juicy gossip. Melody curled her long, blond hair around her index finger and savored every delicious second. This was her moment. Her fifteen minutes. Her time to shine.

It had been nearly a decade since Melody had submitted her first film for consideration at the festival. The film, a haunting recreation of the real-life horror that took place in the Hanley House back in the seventies, was sure to be a hit. At least in Melody’s mind. The panel of esteemed judges saw it another way. Haunting at Hanley House was rejected and shelved, and per the festival rules, without significant changes, the film could never be resubmitted again. The rejection felt like an oversized, red stamp of disapproval. It meant the film wasn’t good enough. It meant she wasn’t good enough.

Distraught, Melody had almost decided to take her career in another direction. But that had all changed one night when she was approached by a dark, wavy-haired man at a movie after-party. His opening words to her had been, “I don’t believe I’ve ever met a woman with eyes such a unique shade of green.” At first she’d dismissed him, thinking it was nothing more than a cheap pickup line. But then her eyes met his bold, unwavering gaze.

He can’t be serious. Can he?

The man’s natural air of confidence commanded the room, even though his eyes locked on hers. “I’m Giovanni.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her. “And you are Melody Sinclair.”

She glanced down at his extended hand, noticing the shiny, oval-shaped ring on his pinkie finger. A semester in college studying Roman history taught her that signet rings worn on the pinkie finger had once symbolized power and authority. Whoever this man was, he definitely fit the bill.

“How did you know my name?” she asked.

“I know the names of all my guests, especially those who know my brother.”

She waved the fluted glass of champagne in front of her, unaware that the single flick of her hand had caused the overpriced liquid to spill over. “Carlo is your brother? And this is…your house?”

An hour later the two sat side by side on a sofa in a private room. The conversation turned to the movie they’d seen that night, and Melody confessed she’d tried making her own film that year, a film she now referred to as an “epic failure.”

“The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure,” he’d encouraged her.

She giggled, running the tips of her fingers over her lips. “Did you come up with that yourself?”

He shook his head. “It’s a Chinese proverb. You made one movie. It was unsuccessful. Make another. And keep making them until you achieve what you set out to accomplish in life.”

Months after their brief encounter, a winter vacation led her to Park City, Utah, a thriving community that had once been an abandoned ghost town. Having been abandoned herself as a child, she felt right at home. And when one of the old-timers started chatting about the town’s colorful history one evening at a local bar, she soon discovered Park City was much more than she realized. It wasn’t just home to what had once been known as one of the world’s richest silver mines—it was a town with a deadly past.

One year later Melody submitted a new film. Bed of Bones was accepted as one of eight “Park City at Midnight” films to be screened at the festival. And now here she was, mere moments away from watching her precious baby premiere in front of a sold-out crowd.

“I heard this film is based on a true story,” a man who sat one row in front of her said to the ginger-haired woman next to him.

The woman let out an obnoxious noise that sounded more like a shrill cackle than anything else. She faced the man, the look on her face indicating she viewed him as a babbling imbecile. “Oh, I doubt it, Stuart. I’ve never heard of this kind of thing happening here. Not in Utah. You know how film makers are these days. They take one fact from history and weave ninety minutes of pure fiction around it to sell tickets. Nope. Never happened. I’m sure of it.”

“It was over fifty years ago, Gladys,” he responded. “You weren’t alive then. How would you know?”

Gladys crossed her arms in front of her, plopped them down on her oversized belly, and hissed loud enough to make the elderly couple a few seats over glance in her direction. She jabbed Stuart with her elbow. “I wasn’t around when Jack the Ripper hacked up all those half-naked ladies of the night either, but I know about him.”

Stuart sighed, tipping his chin toward the ceiling, wondering why he’d bothered speaking in the first place.

A man resembling Tom Selleck back in his Magnum, P.I. days appeared on stage, his presence generating a titillating reaction from the females in the room. A wave of excitement ripped through the air until the women in the audience leaned a little closer to the edge of their seats. Then one by one, they all reclined back, realizing it was a false alarm. Whoever this man was, he wasn’t Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV. The man flattened a hand over his forehead like he was saluting and eyeballed the crowd.

Melody glanced at the man sitting next to her. “That’s my cue. Thanks for being here for me today, Giovanni.”

Giovanni smiled and placed a hand on her leg, his pinkie ring noticeably absent. “Anything for a friend.”

Melody exited the theater through the back-door, taking the hidden corridor on the side that led to the stage. The passageway was narrow and dark. Melody swished a hand from side to side in front of her, attempting to maneuver her way through the darkness. A faint noise vibrated in the distance. It sounded like a tin can being kicked on a concrete floor. “Hello, is someone there?”

The noise stopped.

Melody kept moving.

Then she heard something different.

Tick.
Tick.
Tick.

Melody stopped.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

A firm hand reached through the darkness, gripped her right arm, and squeezed. She gasped, jerking her hand back. She had an overwhelming urge to run. But where? And why? Who was this person, and why had he tried to place a stronghold on her arm?

A deep, male voice penetrated the pitch black passageway. “Right this way, Miss Sinclair.” A flashlight clicked on, leading her out of the veil of darkness toward the stage. When she reached the safety of the stairs, the man released her. She turned, wanting to ask him about the strange noise she’d just heard, but it was too late—he’d faded back into the darkness. The Tom Selleck look-alike caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and said, “And now I’m pleased to present the director and screenwriter of Bed of Bones, Melody Sinclair.” Although rattled, she knew the show must go on. He nodded, passed her the mike, and backed away. The audience applauded. She stepped forward, making sure not to walk too fast. She’d never forgive herself if she tripped now. The piercing glow from the strobe light overhead zeroed in on her place on the stage, where she stood, nervous inside. In seconds, the clapping ceased, and the room quieted to a low hum.

Melody reached into her blazer pocket, her fingers fumbling around for her glasses. They weren’t there. She cleared her throat and held the mike in front of her. “It’s an honor to be here today with all of you. Many years ago, I contemplated giving up filmmaking forever. Then someone gave me a piece of advice that stayed with me to this day, and I learned it’s never too late to achieve your dreams. To the film students in the audience…no matter how many times you fail in this business, keep trying. Never lose your passion—it’s the driving force that makes life worth living.”

A generous applause sounded from all sides of the room. Not the thunderous roar an actor hears when their name is read for an Academy Award, but to Melody, it was no different. She paused, wishing she could hone in on the red-haired skeptic for the final words of her speech.

“The film you are about to see is based on a true story, as most of you already know from reading the introduction in your programs. But what most of you don’t know is how true to life it really is. Many of you are used to fiction being weaved in with fact, lines being blurred, with no way of knowing the truth when you see it. You won’t find that here. Not today.

And so I implore you. After the film ends, and the lights come up, and you’re wondering if what you’ve just witnessed really did happen the way it was portrayed in the movie…go home, get on your computer, and do some research of your own. Or come up and ask me yourself at the director’s table. Either way, discover the truth for yourselves, and let the truth set you free. I want to thank everyone for coming out today. Enjoy the movie.”

It was just how she’d rehearsed it, exactly how she’d planned. She flicked the microphone off, set it on the podium, and exited stage right. The lights dimmed, and the movie began. When Melody reached the other side of the corridor, her assistant was waiting. “Great job out there.”

Melody smiled. “You should be inside, watching the movie.”

“I wanted to be the first to congratulate you.”

Melody placed a hand on her arm. “It means a lot, Brynn. Thank you. Now get in there. I don’t want you to miss it!”

“What about you? Aren’t you coming?”

“In a minute. I can’t find my glasses. I thought they were in my pocket. They’re not. I must have left them in the car.”

“I’ll get them for you,” Brynn said. “You’ll miss the beginning.”

Melody shook her head. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

The chill of night nipped at Melody’s face when she pushed open the theater door, causing a numbing sensation to come over her. She wrapped her sweater tightly around her and increased her pace, thankful her car was parked nearby. An overhead light streamed through the front windshield. The glasses were not on the dash. She opened the car door and paused.

Tick.
Tick.
Tick.

The familiar noise was close. One thing was certain—it was the same sound she’d heard inside. A watch perhaps? No, too loud. She considered reversing back into her car and locking herself in, but there was no time. She didn’t know how she knew. She just did. She inhaled a crisp breath of air and turned around.

Not more than two feet in front of her was a person she assumed to be a man. He wore a ski mask. It was black, frayed at the edges. It looked like it had been sliced with a knife to make it shorter, but it still got the job done. But what was the job? Was he braving the elements, or did he pose some kind of threat?

When the giant rubber boots he was wearing stepped forward, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, or both. She’d heard of people getting mugged or worse in big cities, but here? She never thought it was possible. She scanned the parking lot. Not a soul was in sight. Everyone was inside. She glanced at the theater door. Brynn wasn’t there. No one was. She was alone.

“I—I don’t have any money. My purse is inside.”

He grunted. “Don’t want your money.”

“Are you here for the movie? I have an extra ticket.”

An extra ticket? Of course he wasn’t blocking her for an extra ticket. She had no idea what to say, and somehow she persuaded herself if she kept talking, she’d talk her way out of whatever this was. Talking had gotten her out of plenty sticky situations in the past.

“I…ahh…need to get back inside,” she stuttered.

“Why? What’s the rush?” His voice was low and controlled. His movements slow and confident.

“People are waiting for me.”

“Why?”

“This is my movie. I directed it. And if I don’t get back inside, they’ll come out here looking for—”

“That so?” A lump of black liquid shot through the mouth opening of the mask. Tobacco juice drizzled onto her shoe. “Don’t see anyone coming for you now.”

“If you don’t get out of my way, I’ll…I’ll…scream.”

He shrugged. “What’s stopping you?”

She clenched her jaw. Whatever you do, don’t panic. Don’t let him see your fear. But her usual charm wasn’t working, and she was out of things to say. Aside from his crude demeanor, he hadn’t touched her and he hadn’t threatened her. She took it as a good sign. “Are you here for the movie? I can get you in.”

He cocked his head to the side and let it hang there. “All I care about is the ending.”

“What ending?”

“Yours.”

Tick.
Tick.
Tick.

And then…ding.

The man opened his hand. Crushed inside were her glasses. He curved his hand sideways, letting them fall, smiling as he caught the stunned reaction on her face. Then he dug into his pocket, pulled out a small, square box. It appeared to be made of plastic. He pressed a grey button in the center.

And the theater exploded.

Author Genre: Mystery/Thriller fiction novels

Website: Cheryl Bradshaw
Author's Blog: A Place to Embrace our Love of Books
Twitter: @cherylbradshaw
E-Mail: cherylbradshawbooks@yahoo.com
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Author Description: Born and raised in Southern California, Cheryl Bradshaw became interested in writing at a young age, but it was almost two decades before she put pen to paper. In 2009 Bradshaw wrote Black Diamond Death (Book One: Sloane Monroe series). Within six weeks it entered the top #100 in two different categories and remained in the top #100 for over a year.

Since that time, she has written two more novels in the series and is working on the fourth as well as other projects she currently has in the works. In August 2012, Bradshaw was named one of Twitter's seven best authors to follow. Bradshaw is also the founder of IWU on Facebook, a writers group with almost 1,400 members.


Author's Book List
Grayson Manor Haunting - Addison Lockhart (Volume 1)
When Addison Lockhart inherits Grayson Manor after her mother's untimely death, she unlocks a secret that’s been kept hidden for over fifty years. For Addison, it seems like she’s finally found the house of her dreams…until the spirit of Roxanne “Roxy” Rafferty comes to call. Who is Roxanne, why is she haunting Grayson Manor, and how will Addison’s connection reveal a key to her own past that she thought no longer existed?


Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Stranger in Town - A Sloane Monroe Novel, Book Four
2013 Shamus Award Finalist for best P.I. novel.

He only needed her to look away for a few seconds...

Six-year-old Olivia Hathaway tiptoes down the center aisle of Maybelle's Market, stopping once to glance over her shoulder and make sure her mother isn't watching. But Mrs. Hathaway is too preoccupied to notice her daughter has slipped away. Moments later, a frantic Mrs. Hathaway runs up and down the aisles, desperately searching for her missing daughter. But little Olivia is already in the arms of a stranger. Will PI Sloane Monroe find Olivia before it's too late?


Order the Book From: Amazon
I Have a Secret - A Sloane Monroe Novel, Book Three
It’s been twenty years since PI Sloane Monroe has returned to her hometown of Tehachapi, California, but when a former classmate is stabbed and tossed overboard during the high school reunion cruise, Sloane isn’t about to allow a murderer to run free in her own backyard. But in a town where everyone is harboring secrets, how many more men will die before she discovers the truth?


Order the Book From: Amazon
Whispers of Murder
It was Isabelle Donnelly’s wedding day, a moment in time that should have been the happiest in her life…until it ended in murder.

Three women, three motives to kill:

--A jealous sister
--A company CFO
--A newfound friend

But which one is plotting against her? Which one wants her dead?

Think you know who did it? Think again.

Whispers of Murder received 4/5 stars from London's Vine Voice in February 2012--a top 500 reviewer who had this to say: This was an excellent, polished short read, full of interesting characters, a totally unexpected murder mystery, on Isabelle's wedding day of all days. It was very short, but it had warmth, a good mystery, some very believable characters, some humour, some intrigue and even danger, and a couple of red herrings. The explanation was very plausible, and all the characters likeable.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Sinnerman - A Sloane Monroe Novel, Book Two
Mystery and thriller writer Cheryl Bradshaw, author of the Sloane Monroe series, invites you along for the most important ride of Sloane’s life...

What if you’d been given a second chance to catch your sister’s killer—would you take it? And if you did, would a lifetime behind bars be justice enough, or would you need to see him dead?

MEET SLOANE
Private Investigator Sloane Monroe has solved every case that’s come across her desk with the exception of one—the brutal murder of her sister Gabrielle.

Three years have passed without a trace of the killer until today, when a young woman’s body is discovered on a patch of dirt in front of the local supermarket at daybreak. Now Sloane is faced with the most difficult challenge of her life—finding a man who’s a master at concealing his identity before he captures his next victim and sends them to eternal rest.

MEET SAM
Park City, Utah was a peaceful place until Sinnerman came to town.

Enter the mind of Sam Reids, a serial killer who slashes his trademark letter S into the wrist of his female victims before he discards their body in the same place he found them.

Who is he, and why does he prey on innocent women?


Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Black Diamond Death - A Sloane Monroe Novel, Book One
Cheryl Bradshaw is an Amazon Kindle Best-Selling Author in Mystery: Hard-Boiled and Thriller: Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue

Black Diamond Death: 'IN A PANIC I GASPED FOR AIR, BUT THERE WASN'T ANY. I TRIED TO CRY OUT, BUT I WAS ALONE, AND IN MY HYSTERIA IT HIT ME. I HAD FELT A SIMILAR FEELING BEFORE––LIKE MY BODY WAS GIVING OUT ON ME, AND I KNEW WHAT IT MEANT. I WAS DYING.'

Enter the world of Sloane Monroe in Black Diamond Death… A SKIER CRASHES On the slopes of Park City, Utah’s newest ski resort a woman is found dead. But what if her death wasn’t an accident at all––what if she was murdered?

A SISTER ON A MISSION In Black Diamond Death, Audrey Halliwell faces a problem: finding someone who believes her story. Enter Private Investigator Sloane Monroe. A SECOND BODY IS FOUND Just as Sloane feels she's close to solving the case, she stumbles on another dead body, moving the case in a whole new direction. Will Sloane uncover the truth before the killer strikes again?


Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Dine With Us, A Collection of Recipes from the Authors of Indie Writers Unite
Dine With Us is a collection of recipes from the authors of Indie Writers Unite. It combines our most savory dishes with a sample from one of our novels, allowing you to get to know us while enjoying delicious food in the process. Recipes are shared in the categories of: Appetizers, Breads, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Main Dishes and Desserts. Additionally, each recipe has step-by-step instructions along with a full-color photo.


Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner.
Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.