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End of an Era…

The house is silent and empty. The garden is deserted. There is birdsong, and the robin who visits daily to peck in the plant pots makes an appearance as if to say goodbye. Sixty-three years as a family home. Soon and forever, destined to be occupied by strangers.

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The Black Widow

These characters were mainly from the East End, judging by their accents, although some were Essex locals apparently. Mostly men, who carried themselves with a certain swagger and self-confidence, they were well-known and 'respected' by the criminal classes to which they belonged. When they entered the bar a reverent hush descended. All eyes turned to them.

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Observing Mr. Big in Action.

Blokes in black suits with lace ties and interesting bulges - in their jackets - squared their shoulders at one another other, whilst whispering into each other's ears as they drank their cocktails. Huge designer wristwatches flashed as others gesticulated, and every now and again there was a glimpse of a huge gold bracelet or a medallion nestling on top of an abundance of chest hair poking through tight-fitting shirts, jackets open exposing paunches of varying proportions. Their dyed black hair betrayed the lie their wrinkles proclaimed on faces stiff from too much sun.

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Remembrance

Penance by Jane Risdon: I really enjoyed this one, Jane Risdon isn’t an author whose books I’ve read before, but I loved this ghostly Christmas tale. This one also gave me goose pimples, but they were mostly caused by a feeling of dread as Gabrielle looks for his missing wife and daughters. Christmas should be a time when families get to spend precious time together, and yet Gabrielle missed these special days, putting work first, leaving him full of regret. There’s something sinister about reading a story based around Christmas and the big man himself, especially when a crime's committed. I was impressed with how well-written this short story was, the author creates a spooky atmosphere with an undercurrent of tension and unease, but ultimately it’s a touching story that pulls on the heartstrings.

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Roger A Price – Crime Fighter to Crime Writer – with his latest publication: Inside Threat

What I hadn’t expected was the cathartic effect my writing would have on me! During my time with the police, I had to witness and deal with the worst of what society is capable of. In fact, my own life was put in serious peril on nine occasions – I’m outliving a cat! And, as one advances through the middle and later years of life, I have found that I am naturally less resilient. Things I would have shrugged off in my thirties sometimes replay in my mind and make me shudder.

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Nik Morton Multi-Genre Author is my Guest…

Leon Cazador is on FBI liaison duty in Charleston, South Carolina when a dead child is found with a kidney missing. Suspecting an old foe, he jumps into action when a convoy of trucks with kidnapped children hits a snag, and a boy escapes. But what starts out as a simple cat and mouse chase turns into a convoluted web of deceit involving an underground organ transplant ring that surpasses Leon’s wildest expectations—and abilities. Years later—and carrying around the weight of unresolved burdens—Leon runs into suspicious activity in Córdoba, Spain which makes his heart stop cold. Organ traffickers are running rampant, and a three-man investigating team has gone missing. Eager to put an end to this corrupt organization’s misdeeds once and for all, Leon makes finding its leader his top priority. But will he have what it takes to bring an evil like no other to its knees?

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August: A Month of Memories

My friend and I were invited to spend the week from the end of July to early August, during the time the Regatta runs. We were given full board and lodgings in return for light duties such as cleaning guest bedrooms and changing their sheets. Once we'd finished our chores the day was ours as long as we returned in time for dinner.

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Inspiration for Murder

Like most writers I watch people, I listen to them. Call me nosey - if you will - but I know I'm not alone in making use of free material when it seems to me that people are unaware of how loud they talk in public places such as restaurants, pubs, and even on buses and trains. Some of the juiciest tidbits have been overheard in supermarket queues.

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Location, Location, Location…

Reviewed in the United Kingdom Fast-paced, well-written page-turner that had me so engrossed my train journey flew by. The author clearly has done a lot of research, these short stories all felt very authentic and each had me gripped and on the edge of my seat wondering how they would play out. It’s been a long time since I read anything quite so intriguing and twisty. It certainly got my heart beating faster and I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great murder mystery.

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Former Entertainment Attorney and Award Winning Mystery Author Susan Lynn Solomon is my Guest Author

Libby Bridgeman, a stringer for the Village Voice, balks when Max Howard, her editor, insists she interviews Alicia Kane. Though a campus rebel, a rock superstar, and an icon in the 1970s, Kane hasn’t been heard of in forty years. A Brooklyn court case involving a Black Lives Matter protest seems far more relevant. But you don’t say no to Max Howard.

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Multi-Genre Author and Blog Talk Radio Host Dellani Oakes is my Guest…

Dellani Oakes. I've been writing since I was a child. I began my illustrious career when I was six or seven, writing terrible verse. I wrote a poem for my grandmother and illustrated it. I don't remember exactly what I said, only the repeating line, "When you get a coffin, you never will grow cold, if you make sure that the coffin's made of 14-carat gold." No clue what she really thought of it, but she thanked me very graciously.

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Benny the Fence handed the Money over for the Diamonds…

Undercover: Crime Shorts.
Benny the Fence handed over the money for the diamonds, no questions asked. He didn't know her name, didn't want to. The sulky blonde had been using him for years and so far things had worked just fine. They spoke little. She always wore huge dark glasses and a navy overcoat with the collar turned up over her face covering her features. In moments she was gone. Picking her out in a line-up would've been impossible. He had protection so she wasn't a threat to him. She knew it too.

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Standing with Ukrainian Literature

Ukrainian authors need to enable readers from around the world to find out about their work.  And to reach that audience, their books need to be translated into other languages.  So, what “The Authors Show® “ can do, is to give these books exposure, and through that exposure facilitate initial contact between authors and publishing industry professionals on all continents.

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The Jazz Singer with a Sting in her Tale.

Closing the safe door quietly and with an expert spin of the dial, the black-clad woman straightened up, slinging the grip with her haul over her shoulder. She stood listening intently before moving towards the office door. Again, she waited, her ears straining, before gently prizing the door open and stepping silently into the corridor of darkened offices; she eased the door closed, calculating she had barely two minutes before the night-watchman made his rounds, trying the doors and checking the building was secure.

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Anna Legat talks about featuring Children in Fiction for Adults and her latest Suspense Thriller, Broken…

When writing my suspense thriller, Broken, I had to put myself in the shoes of an eight-year-old boy. The story required me to write a couple of chapters from his point of view, reflecting not just the events in his life but also his attitudes and feelings. Writing those chapters wasn’t easy. Getting into a child’s mind and conveying their emotions and thoughts with authenticity is a tall order, even more so when one is writing a book for adults.

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The Girl in the Van by Helen Matthews: published 17th March 2022…find out all about it here.

The Girl in the Van has multiple sub-plots with three main characters (Laura, Miriana, and Ellie), each of whom has a story to tell.
One of the sub-plots of The Girl in the Van turns on a vicious contemporary crime that I want to expose and bring to greater public awareness. For this reason, I’m relaxed about it being a (small) plot spoiler. ‘County lines’, as it’s known in the UK, is a form of modern slavery where vulnerable children and teens are groomed by criminal gangs and used to carry drugs from cities out to smaller towns or rural areas, often far from their home.

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What’s in a Name?

For an up-and-coming band working the circuit in the UK, Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, life was hard. They often went without food for days, most of their income went on fuel for their van. They were lucky, in that they had a manager who paid their rent and expenses out of his own pocket in the beginning, otherwise, they'd have had to have given up or starved to death.

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Pen To Publication with Karen J Mossman, featuring Only One Woman by Jane Risdon

When a book is released, we hear all about the story, so with Pen2Publish, we’d like to find out more about the process, and the people who helped it along the way. Why are we featuring this book? I read this book and found it a fascinating insight into the swing sixties. Jane was part… Source: Pen To Publication with Karen J Mossman, featuring Only One Woman by Jane Risdon

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Five on Friday with Linda Green @LindaGreenisms @QuercusBooks — Jill’s Book Cafe

Today I’m delighted to feature author Linda Green. Linda is the bestselling author of eleven novels, which have sold more than 1.5million copies and been translated into 12 languages. Her latest novel, In Little Stars, is out in ebook, audio and was published in hardback by Quercus Books this week. Her previous novel, One Moment, […] Five on Friday with Linda Green @LindaGreenisms @QuercusBooks — Jill’s Book Cafe

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Smorgasbord Public Relations for Authors Recycled- Part Four – Social Media – The Pros and the Cons as an Author by Sally Cronin

Originally posted on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:
The definition of Public Relations in business is “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and the public” In the past my focus has been on book marketing, which did include how to reach potential readers with blogs, social media and as part of the writing community.…

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