2018 American Fiction Awards Finalist – Mystery/Humor

2018 PenCraft Awards Winner for Literary Excellence

Murder has come once more to the seaside town of Crab Cove, testing the mettle of “almost handsome” Detective Simon Grave and his “nearly invisible” partner, Sergeant Barry Blunt, who investigate a locked-room mystery with a significant twist: the prime suspects are in the locked room, not the victim, a logic-defying situation that challenges the team at every turn.

As if murder weren’t enough, they must also investigate the simultaneous disappearance of The MacGuffin Trophy from that same locked room, the studio of artist Whitney Waters, famous for her stylized paintings of red herrings.

Who is/are the killer(s)? How did he/she/they get out of the locked room with the trophy, kill the victim, and return unnoticed by others in the room? These and other questions, including the limits of logic and the meaning of life, are posed and perhaps even answered in this quirky, near-future mystery. Yes, there are robots.

“A truly hilarious mystery in the tradition of Janet Evanovich, Thomas Davidson and Rich Leder.” –Best Thrillers

They came searching for a new life. They found Hell.

>>>Chance Wills is an unlikely savior…but he’s the only one they have.

Modern-day rancher, descended from the Spanish conquistadors, Javier Fuentes is rebuilding the family’s ranching empire in the Nevada desert. The problem is beef prices are down, and costs are up.

Tormented by the ghost of his dominating father, haunting his thoughts, he must prove that he is strong enough to carry the Fuentes name forward. The new empire will be founded on a business that is not subject to the whims of the marketplace. He has it all calculated and weighed, profit against loss. It is the perfect business.

The only drawback is that the scheme will leave a trail of pain and death, bleeding away into the dust. For Fuentes, that is just the cost of doing business. For those caught up in his plan, it will become a living hell.

Only Wills can open the gates of hell for those imprisoned by Fuentes’ plans.

Clint never fit in with the other orphans. And now that he’s living on his own, his recurrent blackouts and blood-soaked clothes make him wonder if he can stand to face the truth of his mysterious origins.

Kat always knew she was destined to fight. When ancient spells unleash warring Druid priestesses, she thought she’d be ready to take up the battle cry. But not even a lifetime of training could prepare her for the beast clawing its way out…

Blain delights in making his enemies bleed. So, when the London gangster discovers he can shift into a monster worthy of his darkest appetites, he won’t stop until he’s had his fill.

Before her strange new powers stirred, Shae’s world was shrouded in pain. But it will only be a matter of time before she’s strong enough to break her cruel captors’ bonds—along with every bone in their bodies.

As ancient omens of war spread throughout every corner of the world, the descendants of fearsome were-soldiers must choose sides. Will Clint, Kat, Blain, and Shae defend civilization or condemn it to oblivion?

The Awakening is the first book in the captivating Lycan War Saga series of dark fantasies. If you like ancient magic, powerful adversaries, and new twists on lycanthropy, then you’ll love Michael Timmins wholly original tale.

Her world is a lie, and that lie wants her dead.

As a student of the prestigious Royal Academy, Clare’s work on automatons needs to not only impress her professors, but also honor the legacy of her late mother – who wrote the book on humanity’s mechanized companions.

Clare discovers a hidden recording at home that reveals an inconvenient truth, and now she believes there’s a chance her mother could be alive.

This means the police lied to her about her mother’s fate… but why? There’s only one way to find out.

Sneaking underground into the forbidden substation system, Clare does find something: It has intelligence. It hunts. It can KILL.

She finds a perfect copy of her walled-off city, and something’s wrong; something’s very wrong.

Stuck in the Game, A LitRPG Adventure

Hal can’t catch a break.

What can he do to turn his luck around?

Wandering through a flea market, a strange woman starts to talk his ear off. She won’t let him leave. He doesn’t want any of her junk, that is, until she pulls out a bootleg copy of a new game. Maybe he can forget his troubles for a few hours?

What happens next, turns Hal’s life upside down.

You’ll love this epic LitRPG fantasy series, because every game needs a winner.

Play along with Hal as he becomes an Accidental Thief

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She’s facing the twentieth anniversary of her kidnapping. Will helping other victims give her purpose… or put a bullet in her head?

Palmer Reed is still haunted by her tragic past. Frustrated her childhood kidnappers escaped justice, she accepts a position at an advocacy foundation, hoping to support other innocents. But she’s stunned to discover that behind the scenes of the glamorous fundraising galas, a sinister conspiracy lurks.

Strong-armed by the determined founder into squeezing money from lawbreaking “donors,” she’s troubled by the shady practices used to raise big dollars. With her conscience eating at her, Palmer sets out to uncover the true depths of the shadowy scheme, and unearths a shocking connection between the organization and her own kidnapping.

Can Palmer expose the deadly truth before she falls prey—again?

The Advocate is the first standalone book in the riveting Women of Redemption suspense thriller series. If you like strong female heroes, titanic twists, and danger around every corner, you’ll love Lori Lacefield’s page-turning tale.