crime thriller

Book Launch: When there is no one left to turn to, revenge is the only answer

Some of us die long before our hearts stop beating.

Tessa believes she’s the reason a serial killer is targeting the residents of her small town. Allof Hinton’s victims have some connection to her and if that’s not enough, her cousin Smother by Lee DawnaGary, leader of the local charter of the notorious Leidolf biker club, has assigned the man she hates most to be her bodyguard—her ex-boyfriend, Warren.

Adding to the tension of the already stressed town is the presence of a rival bike charter. They may be in town to help root out the killer before the next gruesome murder, but values are clashing and control of Hinton’s club is at stake. No one can be trusted. A charter war is on the horizon and it will only take an ember to set it ablaze.

Gary’s right-hand man, the sadistic Chopper, has a close relationship with Tessa that makes him more protective of her than ever. When he metes out brutal revenge on her behalf in front of the entire town and media, the spark of war is lit. But it’s Tessa’s own explosive secrets that are the catalyst that blows everything up, setting in motion a deadly blaze of events no one is prepared for.

Broken trust, shocking betrayals, and volatile secrets rock the Hinton charter as their small town is brought to its knees.

When there is no one left to turn to, revenge is the only answer.

Killer Stories: Pick Your Poison

grim reaperIf you’re a crime writer, a mystery novelist, or you just need to bump off a character without violence or bloodshed, using poison might be your cup of tea…or maybe in their cup of tea.

Sometimes writers think it’s easy to just pick out any poison and use it to kill off their characters…but it’s not that simple. Some poisons work more slowly while others are almost instantaneous; some have strong flavors or don’t dissolve in liquid; some are more easily accessible than others. And that just scratches the surface.

The point is that you need to do some research to make sure the poison you choose works in your scenario.

What doesn’t work…

Say you pop a belladonna berry into your character’s smoothie, then have him thrashing about in agony before blood spurts from his mouth in a final gruesome death scene. Well, there’s one problem with that – small amounts of diluted belladonna are actually used for medicinal purposes and wouldn’t cause death, let alone a dramatically violent death.

Or maybe your character lives in the northeastern US and you have her picking wild sneezeweed in a city park. The problem is that sneezeweed only grows naturally in portions of the western US and only at certain elevations.

So as you can see, you need research to make your story believable.

How to make it work…

Research, plain and simple. But be careful of your sources because some websites haven’t double- and triple-checked their information – they’re just taking the first thing they come across as gospel, and some of that comes from forum discussions where “facts” are debated and debatable. Find reputable sources and double- or triple-check that information.

Here are a few sites we’ve found helpful:

~ Encyclopedia.com – just put in the name of the poison orpoison hemlock poisonous plant you’re interested in, and you’ll find out everything from where it’s grown to how it works.

~ Some gardening websites, like Gardening Know How.

~ Poison Control: lists common and dangerous poisons.

~ USDA has an entire section on poisonous plants.

~ ListVerse: 10 Poisons Used To Kill People.

~ Earth-Kind Landscaping: lists common poisonous plants AND the parts of each plant that are toxic.

There are others, of course, but these can get you started.

One word of caution – always, always double check (at the very least) information you get from Wikipedia. Wiki entries can be modified by just about anyone, so you never know if the information you’re getting is 100% accurate.

Awethors Event: Interview with Joe Compton

Our eleventh awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Joe Compton. He’s an indie author as well as president of his publishing company Never Mind The Fine Print LLC. Check out the story of how he came to start his own publishing company!

~~~

1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?

My book, Amongst The Killing, will be part of one of the bundled giveaways. I believe it will be in the thriller category. I also have a chat room on my website that I will be opening up for everyone on the 12th.

2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?

It’s called Amongst The Killing, a crime thriller available at Amazon.com on Kindle and inATK Final Final Cover paperback here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TYXGT36 and at Smashwords for all other ebook versions here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/521250.

3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?

I am fascinated and curious about human nature and the human condition. I always had this wild imagination, so I took the discipline I was taught and put it use in writing. It’s one of the few things I like to do that doesn’t seem like work, though anyone who knows me knows I put a lot into everything I do.

4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.

Short stories of Edgar Allen Poe. I read them a very young age and said I want to write like that. Of course I discovered it’s a lot harder than it looks, but the spirit of the way he wrote is very much a kindred spirit for me.

5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?

I will be there as much as I can. I will have specific “hot times” to be in the chat room event I am planning, but for the most part I will be in and out at various times during the day.

~~~

Author Bio

Writing has always been a passion. Published in his school anthology at an early age, Joe was able to get his first taste of self-publishing, having gotten to see firsthand what it took to publish and sell something on your own.

Right out of school Joe joined the Marines, and while serving his country, Joe wrote the first draft of Amongst The Killing. When Joe got out he began pursuing his writing dream in Denver. He got an agent and they actually got an offer from a publishing company. Alas, though, they wanted to groom this manuscript toward a movie of the week theme and were looking to change the entire concept. Joe didn’t want to go along with those plans and walked away.

Soured from his experience, Joe began pursuing a different writing avenue through screenplays and filmmaking, and they were as equally strong of a passion as novel writing. While still in Denver, Joe began making short films. He made three of his own, and though success would elude him in the traditional sense, he found another type of success. The relationships he forged and the avenues he opened up led him to realize he was not alone in his experiences, and thus he decided to build a publishing brand. A company that could help others like him be discovered. It took some time, but now Never Mind The Fine Print Publishing LLC is here. Their first effort is Joe’s book he wrote all those many years ago, Amongst The Killing.

Connect with Joe

Amongst The Killing at AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TYXGT36
Amongst The Killing at SMASHWORDS: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/521250
WEBSITE: http://nevermindfineprint.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/nevermindfineprint?ref=hl
TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/Joedream73
PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/Joe_NMFP/
GOOGLE+: +NevermindfineprintpubLLC
YOUTUBE TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFx3eEGocuY

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