Black Friday Special - FIVE 'FIRSTS' FREE!

Hi, folks!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are still enjoying the leftovers, too!

We had a good crowd at our house, and I cooked up a storm, like I do every year. I love it.

Today and tomorrow I'm doing something I've never done before. I'm giving away FIVE of my Kindle eBooks at the same time. These are the first books in each of my series. Each series has won numerous literary awards, which is amazing, since I guess maybe I don't stink too badly at this job. ;o)


Here's a bit about them:

Double Forté - from the ten-book LeGarde Mystery series set in the beautiful Genesee Valley, this is a family-centric, wholesome, old-fashioned mystery series full of great characters, music, nature, food, and of course, the obligatory nasty villains.  “Double Forté is a satisfyingly riveting tale with an appealing hero, whose love of music and gourmet food is as fundamental as his courage.” Laurel Wemett, Finger Lakes Magazine
 
Gus LeGarde’s life essentially ended four years ago, when his beloved wife leapt to her death. Today, Gus lavishes love on his family, trying to bury the pain. But trouble arrives when his arrogant son-in-law’s business partner goes missing, and Gus’s innocent friend is set up to take the fall.

The Disappearance of Billy Moore (formerly Healey's Cave) - from the Green Marble Mystery series, a three-book time travel series featuring Sam and Rachel Moore. Wholesome, family-centric, featuring flashbacks to the fifties and even a ghost, this series is told from the point of view of a garden-loving, retired family doctor who can't seem to avoid trouble. "Beautifully descriptive, the characters were real, the dialog totally believable, the action exciting. At the same time, the story was insightful and thought-provoking. Highly recommended." Joan Hall Hovey, bestselling author

When Sam Moore discovers a peculiar green marble in his garden, it links him to his vanished little brother and thrusts him back in time, where he battles a faceless serial killer to untangle the maddening mystery and stop the murder of his beloved grandson.
  

For the Birds - from the four-book Tall Pines Mysteries series set in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, this series is a contemporary, sexy set of mysteries with a touch of the paranormal. Told from a woman's point of view, these books take the "heat level" up a notch from LeGarde Mysteries and the Green Marble Mysteries.  

“For the Birds, by Aaron Paul Lazar was one of the most unique and refreshing mysteries I’ve read in a long time—with a huge surprise ending.” - Marilyn Meredith, the author of Angel Lost.

When Marcella Hollister’s prize parakeet gets zapped by a wayward power line in the same pool as her mother, the ensuing psychic link helps Marcella chase her mother’s kidnappers through the Adirondack Mountains, where she unearths a fifty-year-old secret about her dear father with shocking links to a hidden treasure.

Devil's Lake - from the Bittersweet Hollow romantic suspense series, these books are set in Vermont and were inspired by true events. "Loved this book! DEVIL'S LAKE is a riveting read, and It could have been ripped from today's headlines." Joan Hall Hovey, Canada's best selling, award-winning Mistress of Suspense. (Spice level: high)

Two years ago, Portia Lamont disappeared from a small town in Vermont, devastating her parents and sister, who spent every waking hour searching for her. When she suddenly shows up on their horse farm in a stolen truck with a little mutt on her lap, they want to know what happened. Was she taken? Or did she run away?
 

The Seacrest - from the new love story series, Paines Creek Beach, this sensual story set on beautiful Cape Cod will capture your heart while maybe even adding some sizzle to your love life. (Spice level: high) “The Seacrest is a poignant love story that will have you reaching for the tissues. Every woman needs a Finn McGraw!” – Victoria Howard, bestselling romantic suspense author of RING OF LIES and more.

They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Finn McGraw disagrees. 

The Seacrest is a story of intrigue and betrayal, of secrets and second chances—and above all, of a love that never dies.

 ***

Well, there you have it! Five Firsts Free. I don't know if I'll ever do this again, so I hope you can take advantage of it and enjoy yourself with plenty of choices of genre and style. Either way, happy reading!

Take care, and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend,

Aaron Lazar

***

Mystery, suspense, adventure, romance, thrillers, and a few paranormal thrills propel readers through the Genesee Valley, Adirondack Mountains, Cape Cod, and even Paris, the city of lights...You'll fall in love with the characters and love to hate the villains. Check out the eBooks, paperbacks, and audio books available everywhere books are sold. 

“Addictive, award-winning fiction.” 

Lazarbooks.com

Not Yet Deterred

© Marta Stephens 2010 all rights reserved

I might have mentioned a time or two … or three or four that I’ve completed my third mystery novel and have been querying agents for the past several months. Granted, I haven’t been at it as long as some writers, but even in this short span of time the process has been a draining experience. I read somewhere that I shouldn’t give up though until I receive at least 100 rejection so I quickly found forty more agents to query in order to meet the inevitable quota.

I honestly can’t blame them for being picky though. To reject or accept a manuscript these days is purely a business decision. Let’s face it, the outcome of a poor decision puts the agent’s/agency’s reputation on the line and who can afford to make a bad choice these days and expect to survive? All of that aside, my hopes hadn’t faded. I’d been rejected, not deterred and thus I began an unstoppable quest to write the perfect query if there is such a thing.

After a while, I had no idea how many versions I’d written. My wonderful spreadsheet had more red lines than the pages of Rand McNally. The agents’ names began to blur and the motto around our house quickly became, “A day without mail is a day without rejection.”

Eventually the pain vanished into a desensitized attitude toward the gee-interesting-but-not-for-me-and-good-luck-to-you responses. Most were standard form letters that were neither written by the agent nor addressed to me.

There was, however, one letter that I’d been waiting to receive. It was the first query I mailed and after waiting longer than the usual 4-6 weeks, I knew in my heart that it would be another rejection, but this is an agent I respect and hoped it wouldn’t be a case of a no response.

That letter arrived a few days ago. Damn, I hate to be right. Another rejection. Surprisingly though, when I read it, I felt a flicker of hope begin to stir. This agent indicated that the story had a fair bit of tension to carry the plot. Do you have any idea what it means for an agent to take the time to write that? He rejected my query on the basis that he couldn't get a good sense of my character then briefly offered his thoughts. Again, wow! I read his letter several more times and knew I needed to act. I couldn't think of a better way to figure out the characterization thing, than to I looked up information on one of my favorite authors, Robert B. Parker. I found an article that discussed Parker’s characterization of Spenser of the Spenser for Hire series, and decided to compare it to my characterization of Rhonie Lude to determine what might be missing from the first five pages of my manuscript. Here goes:

Spenser’s characterization:

• Ex-boxer
• Ex-state policeman
• Gourmet cook
• Reader of serious literature
• His social character separates him from the lonely gunfighter
• Hawk is his asocial, violent tendencies
• Susan represents his rational and social side
• Each story has a moral or ethical dilemma—gives light to Spenser’s personal code of behavior.
• Raised a Catholic/lost his faith.
• Tensions inside the family are among main theme in the stories/often behind Spencer’s cases is parental failures at love.

Lude’s characterization:


• Ex-Chicago cop.
• Can’t cook to save her life.
• Hobby? Hmmm. None yet but …
• She is the lonely gunfighter. Lude is a woman PI in 1962—her counterparts don’t take her seriously until she proves them wrong.
• Her elderly friend Evy is her conscience.
• She's still secretly waiting for the love that got away.
• One character in the book represents everything corrupt Lude has fought against in law enforcement.
• Moral/ethical dilemma: Lude has a tongue as sharp as her sense of justice. Regardless of who is exposed, ethically there’s no questions Lude must work against corrupt individuals who are responsible for a cover up that led to a triple murder.
• Theme: Uncover the truth behind the lies. Cope with the reality behind the lies.

If I were to put my mind to it, this list would be much longer, but the value in this exercise was to see if all was lost--it isn't. I'm grateful for this recent letter because it got me out of a terrible what's-the-point frame of mind and rekindled the drive that keeps me going.

Incredible isn’t it how a few positive words can mean the difference between the unquenchable will to write and the hopeless desire to quit?

About the author:

Marta Stephens writes mystery/suspense and the author of the Sam Harper Crime Mystery series.


THE DEVIL CAN WAIT (2008), Bronze Medal Finalist, 2009 IPPY Awards, Top Ten, 2008 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery).


SILENCED CRY (2007) Honorable Mention, 2008 New York Book Festival, Top Ten, 2007 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery).


Her books are available in paperback, Kendle, and e-book format online at Amazons, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million, Smashword, and Powells. For more information about Stephens and her writing, visit http://www.martastephens-author.com/.