Sweet Success Celebrates Mike Befeler

Congratulations to our long-distance member, Mike Befeler on his newest release. 

In Death of a Scam Artist, a financial hatchet man who dislikes old people, accepts the job of turning around a failing retirement home and undergoes a life-transforming experience in the world of geezers and geezerettes. He must deal with a suspicious death, a scam, a hit man, an unexpected romance and retired magician Jerry Rhine and his five whacky sidekicks known as the Jerry-atrics. He faces the most important decision of his life when he uncovers the secret behind an unusual murder.

http://www.mikebefeler.com

https://www.facebook.com/mike.befeler

https://twitter.com/mikebefeler

http://mikebefeler.blogspot.com   

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1105937.Mike_Befeler  

Mike Befeler will be signing and presenting his mystery novel,Death of a Scam Artist (ISBN 978-1-893035-38-6), at Gatsby Books, 5535 E. Spring Street, Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 3 PM. The novel can also be ordered from our local bookseller, Amazon  http://amzn.to/2tbRf9x  Kindle http://amzn.to/2tJBPMi  and Nook http://bit.ly/2vesE5f.

Sweet Success Celebrates Margaret Mizushima's Third Release

Margaret Mizushima is pleased to announce the release of HUNTING HOUR, third in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series, on August 8, 2017. Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo find a missing junior high student dead, but before they can catch the killer, another child disappears—and this time it’s one of Cole Walker’s daughters. Mattie and Robo must lead the hunt to capture a kidnapper before they’re too late. HUNTING HOUR can be found at bookstores and online booksellers.

http://margaretmizushima.com/

Sweet Success Celebrates Patricia Stoltey & her Giveaway

Congratulations to Patricia Stoltey and her new release Wishing Caswell Dead. To celebrate her upcoming release, Patricia is asking people who belong to Goodreads to go over and click the "Want to Read" button -- she'll be doing a giveaway of 5 ARCs August 1-15 and later on will give away at least 5 hardcovers. By clicking on "Want to Read," readers get a notification of giveaways in their email.

This is the link to the Goodreads page:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34479600-wishing-caswell-dead

"In the early 1800s in a village on the Illinois frontier, young Jo Mae Proud wishes her cruel brother dead. Forced into prostitution by Caswell, Jo Mae discovers she is pregnant and vows to escape. When Caswell is injured by a near lightning hit, he becomes more dangerous, and more hated. The flawed residents of the Village of Sangamon harbor many secrets. Caswell knows them all. Will he tell? Jo Mae runs away and eventually finds shelter with Fish, the old Kickapoo Indian who camps by the river. Wishing Caswell Dead is a historical mystery about the evil that hides within a village, one girl who is determined to save herself and her child, and a violent murder no one wants to solve"

Patricia Stoltey

http://patriciastolteybooks.com
Dead Wrong, Five Star/Cengage, November 2014
Colorado Book Award Finalist 2015

Sweet Success Celebrates Agatha Winner Cynthia Kuhn

Congratulations to Author Cynthia Kuhn

About the Agatha: Agatha Awards are given out at the annual Malice Domestic conference held in Bethesda, Maryland: "The Agatha Awards honor the 'traditional mystery.' That is to say, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie as well as others" (Malice Domestic website). Categories include Best Contemporary Novel, Best Historical Novel, Best First Novel, Best Nonfiction, Best Short Story, Best Children's/Young Adult.

About the book: English professor Lila Maclean is thrilled about her new job at prestigious Stonedale University until she finds one of her colleagues dead. She soon learns that everyone, from the chancellor to the detective working the case, believes Lila—or someone she is protecting—may be responsible for the horrific event, so she assigns herself the task of identifying the killer.
More attacks on professors follow, the only connection a curious symbol found at each of the crime scenes. Putting her scholarly skills to the test, Lila gathers evidence, but her search is complicated by an unexpected nemesis, a suspicious investigator, and an ominous secret society. Rather than earning an “A” for effort, she receives a threat featuring the mysterious emblem and must act quickly to avoid failing her assignment…and becoming the next victim.

Bio: Cynthia Kuhn writes the Lila Maclean Academic Mystery series, which includes The Semester of Our Discontent and The Art of Vanishing. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Literary Mama, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama, PhD and other publications.She is professor of English at Metropolitan State University of Denver and president of Sisters in Crime-Colorado.

Sweet Success Celebrates Margaret Mizushima

STALKING GROUND by Margaret Mizushima is a finalist in the 2017 Colorado Book Awards mystery category. In this second book in the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series Deputy Mattie Cobb, her canine partner Robo, and veterinarian Cole Walker investigate the disappearance of Deputy Ken Brody’s sweetheart, but the hunters become the hunted when they find themselves caught in a killer’s stalking ground. “Dog lovers will want to read this thriller.” – Library Journal

About Stalking Ground: When Deputy Ken Brody's sweetheart goes missing in the mountains outside Timber Creek, Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are called to search. But it's mid-October and a dark snow storm is brewing over the high country. And they're already too late. By the time they find her body, the storm has broken and the snow is coming down hard.

While Brody hikes down to bring back the forensics team and veterinarian Cole Walker gathers supplies to protect them from the storm, Mattie and Robo find themselves alone, guarding the gravesite overnight in the dead of the early winter. And that's only the first long, dark night in a series of them, because as their investigation develops, Mattie, Robo, Brody, and Cole find themselves in the middle of the killer's stalking ground--where the hunters have just become the hunted.

An effortlessly engrossing read filled with tension, excitement, and heart, Stalking Ground, the second in Margaret Mizushima's lauded debut series, will send a chill down every reader's spine.

Margaret Mizushima is the author of the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, which includes Killing Trail (Crooked Lane Books, 2015), nominated for an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for best first mystery, Stalking Ground (Crooked Lane Books, 2016), named a finalist in the Colorado Book Awards mystery category, and Hunting Hour (Crooked Lane Books, 2017). She lives in Colorado where she assists her husband with their veterinary practice and Angus cattle herd. She can be found on Facebook, on Twitter @margmizu, and on her website at www.margaretmizushima.com.

Sweet Success Celebrates Cynthia Kuhn's Second Release

By: Ann S. Hill 

The Art of Vanishing (Lila Maclean Academic Mystery #2). Henery Press, 2017.

When Professor Lila Maclean is sent to interview celebrated author and notorious cad Damon Von Tussel, he disappears before her very eyes. The English department is thrown into chaos by the news, as Damon is supposed to headline Stonedale University’s upcoming Arts Week.

The chancellor makes it clear that he expects Lila to locate the writer and set events back on track immediately. But someone appears to have a different plan: strange warnings are received, valuable items go missing, and a series of dangerous incidents threaten the lives of Stonedale’s guests. After her beloved mother, who happens to be Damon’s ex, rushes onto campus and into harm’s way, Lila has even more reason to bring the culprit to light before anything—or anyone—else vanishes.

Amazon: amzn.to/2gsGddK

Barnes: bit.ly/2hs80ez

iTunes: apple.co/2hgfe4j

Kobo: bit.ly/2hqToJy
Intl: http://authl.it/B01NBHR7Y6

Sweet Success Celebrates Catherine Dilts Stone Cold Blooded

By Kathie Scrimgeour 

Congratulations to Catherine Dilts on the publication of her new mystery novel, Stone Cold Blooded – A Rock Shop Mystery (ISBN: 10: 1-893035-34-4 / 13: 978-1-893035-8, 325 pages, paperback and ebook, adult), was published October 10, 2016 by Encircle Publications LLC. It is available on Amazon.

When rock shop owner Morgan Iverson’s reclusive neighbor is blown to bits, she doesn’t believe his violent demise was accidental. Her hunt for clues collides with an invasion of alien hunters, and the heated campaign for a small town city council seat.

In book three of the Rock Shop Mystery series, a Triceratops brow horn may hold the key to solving a prospector’s Stone Cold Blooded death.

Catherine Dilts is the author of the Rock Shop Mystery series, while her short stories appear regularly in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. With a day job as an environmental regulatory technician, Catherine's stories often have environmental or factory-based themes. Others reflect her love of the Colorado mountains, fishing, and running.

Visit Catherine’s website at: http://www.catherinedilts.com/ or contact her via email at: catdiltsauthor@gmail.com

Are you a Pikes Peak Writers member and have something to celebrate? Big or small, we want to hear from you. Contact Sweet Success Coordinator Kathie Scrimegeour at ppwsweetsuccess@gmail.com

Sweet Success Celebrates Margaret Mizushima second in a series

Stalking Ground, Margaret Mizushima’s second in her Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, is scheduled to release September 13, 2016 by Crooked Lane Books (ISBN: 978-1-62953-834-1, in all formats, 320 pages). For more details, check out her website at www.margaretmizushima.com under the Books tab.

In this episode, Deputy Mattie Cobb and her dog Robo return to investigate what happened to Deputy Ken Brody’s missing sweetheart, but the hunters become the hunted when she, Brody, and veterinarian Cole Walker find themselves caught in a killer’s stalking ground. This sequel to Mizushima’s Killing Trail can be found on several online booksellers or at a bookstore in your neighborhood.

Margaret Mizushima is the author of the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, which includes Killing Trail (2015), named debut mystery of the month by Library Journal, and Stalking Ground (9/2016). She lives in Colorado where she assists her husband with their veterinary practice and Angus cattle herd. She can be found on Facebook, on Twitter @margmizu, and on her website at www.margaretmizushima.com.

Sweet Success Celebrates Donnell Ann Bell & a Sale!

Donnell Ann Bell's fourth mystery/romantic suspense is now on sale on all digital markets throughout August 31 for $1.99.  What readers are saying  . . . 

. . . "Now this is romantic suspense." 

. . . "Such a great story teller you get lost in her books."

A devastating secret drove her from her lover's arms. Will a secret equally as deadly lead her back to him? 
Diana Reid is an investigative reporter skilled at uncovering other people's secrets. It's her own that she works to keep buried. Eight years earlier, she promised to leave her fiancé and hometown of Diamond, Texas forever. That pledge vanishes when she receives a letter that people are going to die, implicating her hometown's largest employer, and making a veiled threat against her mother. With no other choice, Diana will return to Diamond, albeit in disguise, to discover the anonymous author.

Sweet Success celebrates Catherine Dilts

Catherine Dilts announces the release of book two in her Rock Shop Mystery series, Stone Cold Case (ISBN # 9781432830991, 385 pages, hardcover and Kindle). Her amateur sleuth novel was published on September 16, 2015 by Five Star-Cengage, and is available at Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, as well as Tattered Cover.

Rock shop owner Morgan Iverson's discovery of human remains reopens a cold case and unhealed wounds in a small Colorado mountain town, while her find of a rare gemstone sparks a dangerous treasure hunt.

To PPW member Catherine Dilts, rock shops are like geodes - both contain amazing treasures hidden inside their plain-as-dirt exteriors. Catherine works as an environmental technician, and plays at heirloom vegetable gardening and fishing. Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine has published several of her short stories. You may learn more about Catherine’s writing at http://www.catherinedilts.com/

PPWC 2013 - David Liss

Before we get to David Liss, there's good news for those who haven't yet registered. The Early Bird pricing for PPWC 2013 has been extended to March 31, 2013! You can still get in at the lesser price of $395 through that date.

Also, our discount pricing for hotel rooms is only good through March 26, so if you intend to book a room, you've still got a few days to get the cheaper price of $105.

Without further ado...

David Liss

San Antonio author David Liss was once an encyclopedia salesman, but pursued degrees at Syracuse, Georgia State and Columbia. It was while writing his dissertation at Columbia that he came up with the story line for his debut novel A Conspiracy of Paper. He never finished the dissertation, but his novel came out in 2000, winning him three different awards for Best First Novel (the Barry, MacAvity and Edgar Awards), as well as being named a New York Times Notable Book. This would not be his last novel to be named a New York Times Notable Book. 

So far, all but one of his award-winning novels have been historical fiction, but The Ethical Assassin, released in 2006, is a contemporary mystery. Funnily enough, the main character in this novel is a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. 

In addition to David's seven novels, he writes Black Panther comics, and did an edition of The Spider and Mystery Men. He has also had short works published in a few anthologies. His book The Devil's Company has been optioned for film by Warner Brothers.

David is a husband, father and vegetarian. He's also Jewish, which his Q&A states is the question he's most frequently asked (now you know, and have no reason to ask). Though he resides in Texas at this time, he is originally from New Jersey. 

He will be presenting Writing and Marketing Historical Fiction on Thursday for our add-on programming, and he's one of our keynote speakers.

You can find him in the following places:

His author website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Library Thing

About the Author:  Shannon Lawrence is a mom of two, a freelance writer and aspiring novelist.  She lives in Colorado Springs and is inspired by the beauty of Pikes Peak and the Rockies.  After years of letting her writing fall by the wayside, she has recently thrown herself back into it.  Her main focus is fantasy and horror and she has just finished a Young Adult Fantasy novel.  She has a flash fiction piece featured in the anthology Sunday Snaps: The Stories, due out in 2013.  She has also discovered a love of photography and enjoys photographing the breathtaking Colorado scenery and wildlife, as well as her children.  She blogs about reading, writing and photography at www.thewarriormuse.com.