Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Carolyn Arnold - Remnants is featured at 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 Carolyn Arnold's New Book: Remnants .

Carolyn writes Mystery & Thrillers and Romance novels including the Brandon Fisher FBI Series, McKinley Mystery Series, Matthew Connor Adventure Series and the MADISON KNIGHT series.

Buy Remnants before April 14th and get 7 bonus titles for FREE! Click here.








Remnants

Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 6


Author: Carolyn Arnold


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All that remains are whispers of the past…

When multiple body parts are recovered from the Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia, local law enforcement calls in FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher and his team to investigate. But with the remains pointing to three separate victims, this isn’t proving to be an open-and-shut case.

With no quick means of identifying the deceased, building a profile of this serial killer is more challenging than usual. How are these targets being selected? Why are their limbs being severed and their bodies mutilated? And what is it about them that is triggering this person to murder?

The questions compound as the body count continues to rise, and when a torso painted blue and missing its heart is found, the case takes an even darker turn. But this is only the beginning, and these new leads draw the FBI into a creepy psychological nightmare. One thing is clear, though: The killing isn’t going to stop until they figure it all out. And they are running out of time…

Excerpt from Remnants

PERIMETER MALL, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 11:30 AM EASTERN

THE TIME HAD COME TO select his next victim. He had to choose carefully and perfectly—he wouldn’t get a second chance. The mall was teeming with life, and that made for a lot of eyeballs, a lot of potential witnesses. But he supposed it also helped him be more inconspicuous. People were hustling through the shopping center, interested solely in their own agendas. They wouldn’t be paying him—or what he was doing—much attention.

He was standing at the edge of the food court next to the hallway leading to the restrooms eating a gyro. The lidded and oversized garbage bin on wheels that was behind him would ensure that anyone who did notice him would just think he was a mall janitor on his lunch break.

The pitchy voice of a girl about eight hit his ears. “Daddy, I want ice cream.”

Trailing not far behind her were a man and woman holding hands. The woman was fit and blond, but his attention was on the man beside her. He was in his twenties, easily six feet tall with a solid, athletic build. He’d be strong and put up a fight. Yes, this was the one. And talk about ideal placement—he was across from the Dairy Queen.

He wiped his palms on his coveralls and took a few deep breaths. What he was about to do wasn’t because of who he was, but rather, because he had to do it.

And he had to hurry. The family was coming toward him.

“It’s almost lunchtime,” the woman said, letting go of the man’s hand.

“Daaaaaaddyyyyy.” A whiny petition.

The man looked to the woman with a smile that showcased his white teeth. “We could have ice cream for lunch?”

The little girl began to bounce. “Yeah!”

“Really, Eric?” The woman wasn’t as impressed as the girl, but under the man’s gaze she caved and smiled. “All right, but just today…”

“Thank you, Mommy!” The girl wrapped her arms around the woman’s legs but quickly let go, prancing ahead of her parents and toward the DQ counter.

“Brianna, we wash our hands first.” The woman glanced at him as she walked by and offered a reserved smile. Had she detected his interest in them?

Breathe. She thinks you work here, remember?

Smile back.

Remain calm.

Look away and act uninterested.


“Oooh,” the girl moaned but returned to her mother anyway.

“We’ll just be a minute,” the woman said.

“Hey, doesn’t Daddy have to wash his hands?” the girl asked.

Sometimes things just work out…

The woman smiled at the man. “Eric?”

“Yes, he does,” he playfully answered in the third person.

Mother and daughter headed to the restroom, the man not far behind.

It was time to get to work.

He took the last bite of his sandwich, crumpled the wrapper, and tossed it into the bin. He casually moved behind it and pushed it down the hall into the men’s room.

He put up a sign that said it was closed for cleaning and entered, positioning himself next to the door. From there, he could see his target at one of the urinals and another man washing his hands at the sink. Otherwise, it was quiet.

Just as if it was meant to be…

The stranger left the restroom without a passing glance. This left him alone with his target.

He twisted the lock on the door and then moved behind the man, who paid him no mind. He took the needle out of his pocket and plunged it into the man’s neck.

The man snapped a hand over where he’d been poked. “Hey!”

It would take a few seconds for the drug to fully kick in. He just had to stay out of the man’s way and block the exit in the meantime.

“What did you…” The man was away from the urinal now, coming toward him on unsteady legs. Both his hands went to his forehead and then it was lights-out. He collapsed on the floor.

He hurried to the bin, wheeled it over to the man’s body, and lifted him just enough to dump him inside. Once the man was in there, he lowered the lid, unlocked the restroom, collected his sign, and left.

His heart was thumping in his ears as he wheeled the bin out a back service door. Some people were milling around, but they didn’t seem curious about him. He went to his van and opened the back door. He put the ramp in place and simply wheeled the bin inside.

When he was finished, he closed the doors and headed for the driver’s seat. He wanted to hit the gas and tear out of the lot. The adrenaline surging through his system was screaming, You got away with it again, but he didn’t like to get too cocky.

Still, he did take some pride in the fact that he’d gotten what he’d come for—and it had been so, so easy.



Author: Carolyn Arnold

Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance

Website: Carolyn Arnold
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Author Description: CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series--Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures--and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.





Author's Book List
Skiing is Murder - McKinley Mysteries Series Book 10
They’re ready to hit the slopes when things go downhill...

Sean and Sara are supposed to have a relaxing vacation in Vail, but it all goes up in a puff of powder when there’s a suspicious death on the mountain. And the deceased is not just anyone; it’s Adrian Blackwell, a two-time Olympic skiing gold medalist.

Rumor has it Adrian died in a skiing accident, but he was too skilled for Sara to accept that as fact. But she doesn’t want to disappoint Sean by ruining his ski trip, even though she’s convinced Adrian was murdered and she’s itching to find the killer.

Sean has never been able to say no to Sara, but this time he plans to. However, all it takes is a call from their PI firm back in Albany to change his mind. A job’s come in to investigate Adrian’s death, and his agent is the one footing the bill, leaving Sean with more questions than answers.

Yet one major problem remains: their New York State PI licenses hold no legal authority in Colorado. They still can’t help but look into Adrian’s death on the sly, though. This case will definitely involve some underhanded tactics, all while trying to dodge the local police over the course of the investigation.


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Coffee is Murder - McKinley Mysteries series Book 9
You might want to rethink your morning routine.

A cup a day won’t kill you, but a few might.

Their first case as private investigators have Sean, Sara, and Jimmy neck-deep in coffee beans trying to find a killer. With their client certain that her mother was poisoned through her coffee of the month club, it has them setting out to Williamsburg, Virginia. But instead of approaching matters from the traditional standpoint, Sean and Sara brew a robust plot and stir Jimmy into the blend, all to get close to their top suspect and grind out the truth.

Going undercover at Tasty Beans, the coffee company, the three of them work to expose the culprit before anyone else dies.


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Valentine's Day is Murder - McKinley Mysteries series Book 8
Strap in for an adventure that will take you to the beautiful island of Jamaica and have you wanting a piƱa colada.

Jimmy finally takes a vacation--and a chance on love--only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.

Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.

With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.

With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.


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Christmas is Murder - McKinley Mysteries series Book 7
Albany’s the perfect image of a winter wonderland, and Sean and Sara’s friend Jimmy is going to be Santa Claus for the upcoming Christmas parade. The trees and decorations have been selected and the gifts have been purchased. The season has truly cast its magical spell--until Sean and Sara’s neighbors die in a horrible house fire.

While the fire department ruled holiday-related hazards as the cause, Sara suspects there’s more to it. Her determination to find the truth has her and Sean toeing the line between what’s legal and what’s not.

As they sort out fact from fiction, the McKinleys make the final decision about whether or not they should open a private investigation firm.


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Shopping is Murder - McKinley Mysteries series Book 6
Shopping takes its toll…

Sean and Sara have had just about enough shopping when screams fill the mall. A man has fallen—or was he pushed—to his death from the second level.

His widow is a childhood friend of Sara's and she's adamant her husband would never jump. With mall security dropping the ball and no seeming motive for murder, Sean and Sara are about to give up when one clue gets them that much closer. It may just be enough to wrap up everything in time for the holidays.


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Family is Murder - McKinley Mysteries series Book 5
The search for a maid results in a mess.

When a woman shows up and claims to be Sara's birth mother, it pits Sara and Sean against each other. Sara opens her heart and wants to believe the woman, but Sean is suspicious of her true identity and motive. After all, there are billions at stake. But when the woman goes missing and a dead body turns up, they both start to question the truth.

Led by Sara's intuition, they pursue all possible leads and soon realize they may have welcomed a killer into their home.


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Politics is Murder - McKinley Mysteries series Book 4
Sean and Sara’s popularity as a murder-solving duo has gained momentum. But it’s not until it comes time for a local television interview that they meet Reanne Mable and end up finding themselves involved with a high-profile investigation.

Reanne is the sister-in-law of Albany’s Mayor Davenport and his daughter, Halie, has gone missing from her university campus. With a desire to keep the matter out of the media spotlight, Davenport turns to Sean and Sara to find her. But with the police already investigating the matter, taking this case would pit them against their friends from the police department, including their former sergeant Jimmy Voigt.

As time moves on, though, the fate of the girl is not up for a vote, and the McKinleys set out to find out what really happened. With the mayor taking the heat for a recently passed zoning bylaw, is an enraged small business owner behind Halie’s disappearance? Or did she simply grow tired of living in her father’s limelight and run away?

To get the answers, Sean and Sara will need to use all the resources at their disposal and may have to call upon their good friend Jimmy for help, after all.


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Money is Murder - McKinley Mysteries Series Book 3
Old Man Quinn left Sean more than his billions—he left him a murder to solve.

Inside the chest given to him from the executor of Quinn's Will, Sean finds a key and implicit instructions that the contents are for his eyes only. After Sean discovers where the key fits, he finds another letter—Quinn wants a closed case reopened, and Sean is shocked to learn who the victim was.

As Sean and his wife, Sara, uncover clues, it leads them from the back rooms of Quinn's corporation to the streets of New York City, but they will stop at nothing to get to the truth.


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Vacation is Murder - McKinley Mysteries Series Book 2
There's only so much relaxation two former detectives can handle—even if they're on their honeymoon. With their recent fall into money, Sean and Sara McKinley should be living it up, enjoying the sun and beaches of Cancun. But heading into their third week they've had just about enough lying around.

When the husband of a couple they've befriended is kidnapped and held for ransom, it has the McKinleys putting their experience to use. As they set out in the unfamiliar landscape of paradise, the investigation will have them risking their lives to stop a killer.


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The Day Job is Murder - McKinley Mysteries series Book 1
For Sean McKinley, working in Albany PD Homicide is great except for one thing—he's in love with his partner Sara Cain. And even though she feels the same way about him, she convinced him they should just remain friends. Two years later, nothing has changed.

Yet, during the course of a murder investigation, when Sean finds out an old friend has died, it results in something that has the potential to change his life—and Sara's—forever.

It goes to prove one unexpected act of kindness has the power to ripple throughout the years and bring happiness...even when The Day Job is Murder.


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Violated - Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 5
Sometimes the past should stay there...

The murder is one of the most heinous FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher has ever seen. But that’s not why he and two members of the team are rushing to California. The Bureau is interested because the prime suspect is one of their own, Paige Dawson.

But Paige didn’t go to Valencia to kill anyone. She had set out on “vacation”--her new lover in tow--only to confront the man who raped her friend twenty-some years ago. While the hands of the law are tied, she wants him to face the fact that he destroyed a young woman’s life and know that, as an FBI agent, she’ll be watching his every move. Yet, instead of accomplishing her goal, she wound up in the back of a police cruiser.

Now Paige must face off with a hard-nosed detective determined to stick a murder charge to a fed. But with the trained eyes of the FBI on the case, it’s becoming more and more obvious that the evidence lends itself to a serial killing, not an isolated incident. And as long as the local authorities are focused on Paige, the real murderer is still out there, possibly waiting to strike again…


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Blue Baby - Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 4
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...

At the heart of every human being is the need--and the desire--to be happy. For many, happiness is elusive, but for one killer, it’s something to be created. But it’s not as easy as it seems at first, and this “creator” is determined to get it right at least one more time, no matter how many tries it takes …

It’s been exactly a year since Cheryl Bradley was found dead in her bathtub, dressed in a wedding gown with her ring finger severed. With no leads and no more evidence, the case had gone cold. That is, until another young woman is found murdered and posed in the same fashion.

Now, FBI agent Brandon Fisher and his team have been called in to catch the killer before another innocent life is taken. As Brandon begins to pull at every possible loose thread, the idea that the killer’s method of operation is all that connects the women begins to unravel. This serial killer isn’t just out for blood; this is a murderer on a mission.

But the closer Brandon thinks he’s getting to a resolution, the more evident it is that the killer is losing control and slipping up, making the trail even more difficult for the FBI to follow. And unless Brandon and his team can catch up to the killer, the bloodbath will continue to overflow.


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The Defenseless - Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 3
The job dictates finding justice. When a killer targets those who have abused animals, the FBI team is questioning, “What is justice?”

The first victim was poisoned. Three others are still missing. One more turns up dead. But there is one connection that ties them all together.

This case has FBI Agent Brandon Fisher and the team in Colorado to stop a serial killer targeting men who beat charges of animal abuse over twenty years ago. With the method of murder changing to match what his victims had allegedly inflicted on the defenseless, the team questions who is on the side of justice--them or the murderer. After all, their unsub is seeking retribution on behalf of the victims who have no voice.

While facing this moral dilemma, Brandon’s integrity to the Bureau is also tested. But Brandon is up for the challenge--anything to get his mind off his pending divorce and the upcoming holiday. Being thousands of miles from home, the forbidden relationship between him and Paige becomes more tempting but is he willing to risk all that he’s worked for?


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Silent Graves - Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 2
One officer’s nightmare is realized. There is a serial killer targeting women in Prince William County, Virginia.

Thirty missing women in the period of six years. Now another has been abducted.

One officer was right all along. Prince William County, Virginia has a serial killer preying on women.

With the recent abduction, the FBI is called in and Brandon Fisher's team gets the assignment. There is more to it than just one missing woman--this dates back decades. They delve into the past cases, hoping it will shed light on the investigation, but with the discovery of a body and the report of another missing woman, their efforts are further intensified. They begin narrowing in on the cases from the last six years.

What they find are heinous acts that rival what they witnessed in Salt Lick, Kentucky. They must stop a killer who plays out his twisted game of rape and torture--and they need to do so fast if there's going to be anyone left to save.


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IN THE LINE OF DUTY - Detective Madison Knight Series Book 7
He devoted his life to seeking justice. But would she get any for him?

It was an ordinary day for police officer Barry Weir. It was the end of shift, he was tired, and he just wanted to get home to his wife and kids. But someone had other plans for him, shooting him down and forcing him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

When news of Weir’s murder reaches the precinct, it leaves Detective Madison Knight and every cop in the Stiles PD itching for revenge. It cuts Madison’s boyfriend, colleague, and Weir’s childhood friend, Troy Matthews, deepest of all, driving him away from everyone he loves just when they need one another the most.

With evidence pointing to a gang-related drive-by, Madison and her team investigate the town’s seedy underbelly in search of justice for their fallen brother. But the deeper they dig, the more convoluted the case becomes. Now they need to figure out if this was a random shooting as part of a gang initiation, a straight-up hate crime, or a targeted kill. But with members of the Stiles PD under attack, they have to do it fast…before more officers pay with their lives.


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City of Gold - Matthew Connor Adventure Series Book 1
Action-adventure books for the mystery lover. In this series, modern-day archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor travels the globe with his two closest friends to unearth treasure and discover legends the world has all but forgotten. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century.

Finding the Inca’s lost City of Gold would be the discovery of a lifetime. But failing could mean her death...

Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.

Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse--the City of Gold.

Now Matthew and his two closest friends have to find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.


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Deadly Impulse - Detective Madison Knight Series Book 6
Looks aren’t the only things that can be deceiving...

When a sixty-eight-year-old woman is found dead outside the hospital in a wheelchair with an anti-abortion sign strapped to its back, Detective Madison Knight expects it to be an open-and-shut case. On the surface, there are no signs of foul play, but the deeper she digs, the more convoluted the homicide becomes. And when two more bodies appear, including those of a girl just barely old enough to drink and a homeless man, the direct links between the three murders are anything but simple.

Without a consistent MO, Madison doesn’t buy that a serial killer is on the loose, despite the conviction with which her ex-fiancĆ© and fellow detective try to convince their superior. But Madison already has enough to juggle without having to defend her reputation. Debilitating flashbacks of being held hostage by the Russian Mafia mere months before haunt her on an almost daily basis, and the promises she made to herself while in captivity are becoming more and more difficult to keep. Learning to trust is hard enough without constant reminders of what destruction--fatal or otherwise--trusting the wrong person can cause.

Now, as both personal and professional friction within the department mounts, she and her partner, Terry, must figure out what motivation could span generations to cause someone to murder these people. But catching this killer is like grasping at straws, and grabbing the wrong one could mean losing not only her pride but also her boyfriend, her credibility, and her faith in humanity…


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Just Cause - A Madison Knight Novel Book 5
The past threatens the future and puts Detective Madison Knight's life in danger.

A cold case pits Madison against the Russian Mafia, but things take a swift turn when the unthinkable happens—a new threat arises and has Madison hunting down an unknown killer.

While trying to make sense of the clues, bodies are piling up, and the brass is hungry for explanations. In addition, Madison must balance all of this while nursing an injury, talking out her emotions with a therapist—a bureaucratic necessity—answering to an eager journalist, and facing an internal affairs investigation.

As the answers come together, Madison narrows in on a possible link between the Russian Mafia and someone within the Stiles PD.

Will she have the courage to confront the person she believes is playing both sides, even though they hold a position of great power?

Things are about to be shaken up, and, for Madison, that means she just might have to let go of the past to embrace her future.


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Found Innocent - A Madison Knight Novel
There's one code when it comes to the wall of blue…and Madison Knight may have to cross it.

Any good cop knows you never report a brother for mishandling a case or accuse him of misconduct, but in order to find justice, Madison may not have a choice.

Lacy Rose had one goal for her twentieth birthday—to be found innocent of past sins—but her life is cut short.

When Lacy's remains are found in a garden and the investigation becomes connected to a closed case, Madison must face her past. The lead detective on that case was Madison's ex-fiancƩ. At the risk of jeopardizing departmental relationships, and churning up the attention of an old flame at the same time, Madison must push hard before the guilty are found innocent.


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Life Sentence - A Madison Knight Novel
PLEASE NOTE: Life Sentence is the prequel to the Madison Knight Series but is a romantic suspense. Madison Knight of the best-selling series has a cameo role, and while it was the inspiration for the series, it is not a police procedural.
~~
"If I pay with my life, you will pay with yours."

Defense Attorney Bryan Lexan may have just taken on the case which will cost him his life. When his client, a Russian mafia boss, is convicted of first-degree murder, he vows to make Bryan pay.

Meanwhile, Jessica Pratt has always prided herself on being a modern woman–you know, the kind who doesn't need a man to make her feel complete. So when she finds herself torn between two, she realizes that not all decisions are based on facts. If they were, her boyfriend, Bryan, would be the logical choice. He has the family name, wealth, and a stake in a successful law firm. Only thing is, when she meets Mason Freeman, the chemistry between them is irrefutable and he won't take no for an answer.

With both of them caught up in a struggle for survival, and a powerful enemy on their heels, they'll need to decide where their loyalties lie.


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Sacrifice - A Madison Knight Novel
When the son of business tycoon Marcus Randall washes up on the shore of the Bradshaw River, Detective Madison Knight must sacrifice everything--including her career--to find justice for the "perfect murder".

With Randall already on the radar of the Secret Service for fraud and counterfeiting, the investigation sheds new light and they require the full cooperation of the Stiles PD. But with power and money to back him, Marcus has a reach that extends right inside the police department.

If Madison's going to find out the truth, she'll have to sort through the lies and balance diplomacy with politics.


Book Trailer: Sacrifice



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Justified - A Madison Knight Novel
This Christmas, murder doesn't take a holiday.

Madison Knight should have ignored the call. Now she is spending Christmas Eve dealing with her least favorite thing...blood and lots of it.

When a female victim is found in her home it has Madison and her partner tapping into the vic's personal life. With a rash of former business partners and lovers, all of whom wanted her dead, there are not enough hours to question them all.

But trying to find the person who had the most motive isn't all that's on Madison's mind. As she struggles to establish balance in her own life, she knows she has to get her focus back. Justice requires it.

Praise for Madison Knight
"I feel like I know Madison well enough to call her Maddy... she could be a less klutzy sister to Evanovich's famous Stephanie Plum."
--Betty Dravis, Award-winning Author and Journalist

"Her sharp, insightful protagonist, Madison Knight, comes to life to kick some ass and take some names."
--Rosa St.Claire, Book Critic, The Examiner


Book Trailer: Justified



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Ties That Bind - A Madison Knight Novel
Detective Madison Knight concluded the case of a strangled woman an isolated incident. But when another woman's body is found in a park killed with the same line of neckties, she realizes they're dealing with something more serious.

Despite mounting pressure from the Sergeant and Chief to close the case even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars, and a partner who is more interested in saving his marriage than stopping a potential serial killer, Madison may have to go it alone if there's not going to be another victim.

Ties that Bind is the 1st in the best-selling police procedural Madison Knight Series.

Please note: Ties that Bind was professionally edited and re-uploaded the end of October 2012.

What reviewers are saying

"Arnold's writing style is very close to JD Robb's "In Death" series..."
--Karen DeLabar, Blogger and Book Reviewer

"Here's one new fan of Madison Knight who recommends you meet her in Ties That Bind...Fantastic Suspense!"
--GA Bixler Reviews

"A fast paced crime novel with surprising twists and turns....This detective series has a Law and Order feel to it and the suspense keeps the novel flying."
--The Kindle Book Review

Praise for Madison Knight

"I feel like I know Madison well enough to call her Maddy... she could be a less klutzy sister to Evanovich's famous Stephanie Plum."
--Betty Dravis, Award-winning Author and Journalist

"Her sharp, insightful protagonist, Madison Knight, comes to life -- to kick some ass and take some names."
--Rosa St.Claire, Book Critic, The Examiner


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Assassination of a Dignitary
The bad guy you root for.

Raymond Hunter's dark past has returned and demands one final favor. Now fifteen years later, settled as an accountant and family man, he assumed life would be calm. He thought wrong. The Italian Mafia wants him back.

The directions were simple: Kill Governor Behler and be out for good.

In order to protect his family and guard them from the truth, he has no choice but to accept the job. He picks the date and location--Niagara Falls, New York--two hundred and forty miles away. But by the time he returns home, he finds out the assassination attempt failed, his family has been kidnapped, and he has twenty-four hours to set things right if he wants to see them again.

With time running out, Raymond discovers the real reason they wanted Behler dead and finds out he's placed himself and his family right in the middle of a mafia power struggle. What he doesn't realize is that law enforcement is also closing in.


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

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

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Abby L. Vandiver - An Author Interview at the HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Amazon Bestsellers author Abby L. Vandiver. She is the author of Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Series and the Mars Origin "I" Series. Abby writes Cozy Mystery novels.

Author: Abby L. Vandiver

Author Genre: Mystery

Website: Abby Vandiver
Author's Blog: INK AND QUILL
Twitter: @AbbyVandiver
E-Mail: abbylvandiver@aol.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile



Author Description:
Through her various occupations, Abby discovered her love of writing. She'd always been told she had a gift for telling stories, combining the two, she became an author.

Her debut novel, the mystery/sci-fi, In the Beginning, Book I in the Mars Origin "I" Series was an Amazon #1 bestseller. It was written on a whim, packed away, and rediscovered some twelve years later. After publishing it in 2013, Abby decided to make writing a full-time endeavor. She's penned a slew of novels since then and has even more in her head. Although she writes mostly mystery, she's written a historical/women's fiction novel. It was co-written with author and friend, Kathryn Dionne under the pen name Kathryn Longino.

Currently she is working on her first cozy mystery series. There will be at least five in the series, three, Bed & Breakfast Bedlam, Coastal Cottage Calamity, and Maya Mound Mayhem have already been published and are Amazon international bestsellers.

Abby, a former lawyer and college professor, has a bachelor's degree in Economics, a master's in Public Administration, and a Juris Doctor. A lifetime resident of Cleveland, Ohio, Abby spends all of her time writing and enjoying her wonderful grandchildren.


SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Congratulations on your book: Garden Gazebo Gallivant. Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called South Seas Shenanigans. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Thank you, and yes, it's true! South Seas Shenanigans will be out April 1. If you've kept up with the series, you'll remember there was a wedding in Garden Gazebo Gallivant. And you guessed it, the South Seas is where the honeymoon takes place. But of course, wherever you find Logan and Miss Vivee, you'll find murder. Check it out, like the others in the series, it's a whole lot of fun!

You have a good following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? How did you build your following in your niche? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?

I worked very hard to get Twitter followers. My daughter teased me that I must have "bought" followers. I didn't, and the main reason is because I think it is important to build a following. Growing Twitter followers is a good way to learn to network. At my age, social media and all the new technology can sometimes be daunting. But I keep at it because it is important on getting your book into the hands of readers. And it does carry over into writing. When I see my followers are happy with my books, it makes me want to give them more.

Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?

I have done all of those things. From brick and mortar appearances to Internet radio and virtual release parties. I'm currently doing a book tour that I set up. Keep up with my goings on by following me on social media and on my website www.abbyvandiver.com.

You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

I do my own covers. I bought Adobe CS.5 a few years back when I was working on an online magazine. When I first started writing, I found that I couldn't afford the covers graphic artists were offering, so I did my own. My covers are so important to the story, in fact, I do the covers before I even start typing.

I like the idea of bundling a series of novels. You have put together a set of your Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery novels. What was the impact on your other sales? What was your main objective in bundling your novels?

One of my objectives in bundling novels is to impact sales. I read a marketing article once that said one way to increase sales is to have more books. But really impacted my reason to bundle is because readers asked for more. When my first novel, In the Beginning, came out readers asked when was the next installment set to be released. Next installment? I thought. There isn't any more! That made me want to write more.

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?

At first I thought, I'll never give my books away for free, but then I found that it is a very useful marketing tool. I want, most of all, to give enjoyment to my readers, so it's not necessary I make a boatload of money (but wouldn't that be nice). I found I sold more books when I gave some away free. I haven't done a giveaway on my own yet, but I'm thinking about doing it. Additionally, I'd like to do a perma-free book to go with my cozy mystery series.

Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?

I am just starting to promote through a reader's list and still working on the ins and outs of it. Check back with me in a few weeks, and I'll share what I've learned.

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 am bad at time management, and truly doing all those things take up most of my day. I decided to blog once a week, the weeks I don't have the time to write, I do a guest post. My novels don't come as quickly as I'd like them to, but I'm learning to do better planning for them, too.

What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?

I've never sought paid reviews, and I used to do book swaps to get reviews. But I did find that sometimes people don't give honest reviews - they'll give a five star if you will - I didn't like that at all. Now I only ask for reviews at the end of my books.

You co-wrote At the End of the Line with author and friend, Kathryn Dionne under the pen name Kathryn Longino. How did that process work? Do you plan on writing more with Kathryn?

I love Kathryn, she is such an awesome writer, and yes, I would love to write more books with her. We were talking on the phone one day, and she said, "What about if we wrote a book together about two friends that have never met?" I thought she was kidding - we'd never met and considered ourselves friends, so I responded, "Yeah, and we can call it "At the End of the Line." and it's just what we did! We had to make it an historical fiction because today everyone can come face-to-face, even if it's only in a virtual world.



Author's Book List
Garden Gazebo Gallivant - A Logan Dickerson Cozy Book 5
There's going to be a wedding! But three days before the nuptials, Logan finds a dead body at the gazebo. And as usual there are suspects galore. But not to worry, Miss Vivee is on it.

Justin, Logan's Biblical archaeologist mother, is on the scene to help, and so is her brother, Micah. They try to piece the clues together, and solve the whodunit before the "I do's."


Order the Book From:
Amazon


Food Fair Frenzy - A Logan Dickerson Cozy Book 4
Archaeologist Logan Dickerson, and Voodoo herbalist Vivienne Pennywell (aka Miss Vivee) are back to solving murder in Yasamee, Georgia (not a real place).

It's the 105th Freemont County Possum Pickin' Food Fair, and everyone is getting sick from the food. Blue faces, fainting, chest pains, it doesn't look good. Then Jack Wagner is found dead. Miss Vivee is called in because with his death came a clue. A note that listed nine deadly flowers. Is that what killed pie-tasting-judge Jack? Only Miss Vivee and her cohorts in crime (solving) can figure this one out!


Order the Book From:
Amazon


Maya Mound Mayhem - A Logan Dickerson Cozy Book 3
The two murders in Yasamee weren’t the first ones Logan had seen . . .

Old enemies come back to haunt Logan as she finally gets to excavate the site in Georgia that she thinks will prove her theory that the Maya migrated to the United States. Miss Vivee and Mac, her partners in crime (solving) come to her rescue when she’s caught red-handed with the bones of the murder victim and she turns out to be the prime suspect.


Order the Book From:
Amazon


Coastal Cottage Calamity - A Logan Dickerson Cozy Book 2
Everyone seems to want Oliver dead.

Local playboy, Oliver Gibbons, turns up dead. And it seems most everyone has a motive for wanting him out of the picture. From the three blondes he promised to marry, to his partner in an illegal fishery, to his long lost cousins, Oliver's death seems like a satisfying option. But when Miss Vivee, the five-foot-nothing, ninety-something, Voodoo herbalist realizes one of the possible suspects is her daughter, she recruits Logan, the resident archaeology to help her find out the truth.


Order the Book From:
Amazon


Bed & Breakfast Bedlam - A Logan Dickerson Cozy Book 1
Logan Dickerson is an archaeologist who feels she'll always live in the shadow of her famous mother. To prove her worth, she jumps the fence at a federally protected archaeological site. Not such a good idea. Now she's on the run from the FBI. Ending up in a small, coastal town in Georgia she discovers that one resident, Gemma Burke, has been found dead, keeled over in her bowl of bouillabaisse. Logan gets all tangled up in a big mystery, (and a little bit of romance), but the fun begins once she falls in cahoots with Miss Vivee, a ninety-something, five-foot-nothing Voodoo herbalist, and owner of a wheaten Scottish terrier named Cat. Of course the elderly sleuth, with Logan’s help, thinks she can solve the murder before the local sheriff can.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


Incarnate - Mars Origin "I" Series Book 3
Justin Dickerson, Biblical archaeologist, has grown weary of the burden she's carried since finding those pesky 2,000 year old manuscripts in the caves at Qumran. She's decided to give the U.S. government all she knows about man's true origin and the proof she's obtained. On a dig in Belize with her daughter, Logan, Justin believes she has found a Maya connection to her origin theory. What she uncovers is too devastating to trust to anyone. But that decision may just cost Justin her life.

The Maya calendar didn't foretell of the end of the world. What it does predict takes Justin and her family on a worldwide adventure through the jungles of Central America, across the Giza Plateau in Egypt, along the waterways of Panama, ending in a train ride from Paris to Istanbul aboard the famed Orient Express.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


Irrefutable Proof - Mars Origin "I" Series Book 2
A 600 year old mysterious codex, written in an unknown language.

Millennia old secret society dedicated to guarding the secrets of man’s true origins.

Ancient biblical text corroborating an alternative history of mankind.

For thousands of years, people have been trying to hide a secret. A secret so obscure that even the markings left around the world as clues have yet to be understood. First held at Gƶbekli Tepe, a 10,000 year old temple in the Anatolia region of Turkey, stored later in the Library at Alexandria, and found at a Jesuit Catholic church in Italy is a codex, written in an undecipherable language, that may be not only the key to the cure for cancer, but hold the knowledge to traverse the stars.

Justin Dickerson, Biblical archaeologist, pieced together secrets of mankind’s origin that had stayed buried for more than two thousand years. She’s discovered where Atlantis was located and why there were great civilizations in the New World long before European explorers ever thought to embark upon its shores. But to get anyone to believe what she’s discovered, she’ll need to find irrefutable proof of her claims. Trying to get it though, might be the last thing she ever does.

The Bilderberg Group, a clandestine faction comprised of the most powerful and politically connected people in the world. A Professor Emeritus of Semitic at a world class university. A Society of Jesus priest who might not be all he seems. All want to get to Justin and find out what she knows. By any means necessary.


Order the Book From:
Amazon


In the Beginning - Mars Origin "I" Series Book 1
A fifty year old journal.

2,000 year old manuscripts hidden with the Dead Sea Scrolls . . .

The answer to Earth's ancient mysteries revealed.

In 1949, Dr. Amos Sabir is assigned to translate four manuscripts that were found in Cave #4 at Qumran. Dr. Samuel Yeoman, Editor-in-Chief is tasked with presenting the information contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls to the world. Neither is prepared to share what they find. Even if it means they have to lie or kill to keep it secret.

History repeats itself. Unfortunately for mankind, arrogance and greed are a part of human nature. And that same human nature that almost drove mankind to extinction thousands of years ago, is rearing its ugly head - again.

In 1997 Justin Dickerson, Biblical Archaeologist, and self-proclaimed re-creator of history, is finding little purpose to her existence as of late. She jumps at the invitation to attend the 50th Jubilee of the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls to help with the remaining needed translations. Instead, a chance discovery of a journal of one of the original translators of the famed manuscripts sets her off on a path that will unravel the foundation of mankind’s belief of his origins forever. Obsessed with the possibility that history has purposely been destroyed, she is soon faced with the shocking discovery of what really happened In the Beginning . . .


Order the Book From:
Amazon


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

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