DFRAT – The E-Book Boom by Jean Harrington

Interior decorator Deva Dunne never dreamed she’d see a Monet hanging on someone’s dining room wall. Then she snags a client with two Monet seascapes. Her thrill lasts until she finds one of the paintings missing, cut from its frame, and the cook shot dead.

Rough-around-the edges, but gorgeous all-around police lieutenant Victor Rossi insists Deva leave the sleuthing to the police. But what could it hurt to come up with a list of suspects that doesn’t include herself? Like the owners of the Monets, a rich man and his trophy wife, and their frequent guests. Even the cook’s husband is suspect. Then Deva finds another victim, clutching a very strange set of clues.

Desperate to save her business amid the negative publicity, Deva helps Rossi investigate. And when he needs advice decorating his bedroom, she just might find a client for life. Unless a killer gets to her first.

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Have Kindle, will travel—with a library in my pocket.  An entire library no bigger than a slice of bread!  Same is true for a Nook or an iPad.  Can’t help but love those electronic devices.  If you have a digital reader, you know the feeling.  At first you miss turning pages, but once you experience how effortless and convenient your e-reader is, you’re hooked.

And you’re not alone.  In 2011, roughly 20% of all books sold were e-pubbed.  So with 80% in print format, the stats still favor paper books.  But a short while ago ALL books were in paper format—none in digital.  I’m convinced that a few years from now, the stats will make even more interesting reading.

So with that in mind, last year I jumped on the digital bandwagon and sold my Murders by Design Mystery Series to Carina Publishing, the electronic division of Harlequin and haven’t regretted it for an instant.

In this light-hearted series, interior designer and amateur sleuth, Devalera (Deva) Dunne is a widow with gorgeous legs who, despite her man’s name, is all woman and out to prove it along with the identity of a ruthless killer.  What fun I had with this!  For excerpts from Designed for Death and from book two, The Monet Murders, due out on June 11^th,

visit my web site:  www.jeanharrington.com.

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Bio:

For 17 years, Jean Harrington taught writing at Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts.  Then she and husband Big John moved to Florida, and she’s been writing ever since.  The first in her Murders by Design Mysteries, Designed for Death, was published in January in e-book and audio format.  At year’s end it will also be released in print edition for Harlequin’s Worldwide Mystery Library. The second in the series, The Monet Murders, comes out in June.  Currently working on the third book in her series, Jean is up to her knees in dead bodies and loving every minute of it.

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Finding Inspiration by Linda Lael Miller

The illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, Sheriff Slade Barlow grew up in a trailer hitched to the Curly-Burly hair salon his mother runs. He was never acknowledged by his father…until now. Suddenly, Slade has inherited half of Whisper Creek Ranch, one of the most prosperous in Parable, Montana. That doesn’t sit well with his half brother, Hutch, who grew up with all the rights of a Carmody—including the affections of Joslyn Kirk, homecoming queen, rodeo queen, beauty queen, whom Slade has never forgotten.

But Joslyn is barely holding her head up these days as she works to pay back everyone her crooked stepfather cheated. With a town to protect, plus a rebellious teenage stepdaughter, Slade has his hands full. But someone has to convince Joslyn that she’s responsible only for her own actions—such as her effect on this lawman’s guarded heart.

 

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How do you continue to find inspiration after writing so many novels?

That’s a very good question.  The answer, I suppose, is that I’m always and forever reading and shamelessly eavesdropping on other people’s conversations.  Everything is grist for my mill, so to speak.  I might read about a situation and think, “what if–?” and then I’m off and running.  My Clare and Tony mysteries, commonly called the Look Books, are a good example—I used to see this guy on TV all the time, when I lived down in Arizona, a lawyer advertising for business.  His hair was slicked back and his suit was fancy and I remember thinking he was the ultimate ambulance-chaser, with a clear message: no matter what awful thing you’ve done, we can get you off.  I knew that attitude was bound to really tick off, say, a homicide detective, who would have a vested interested in seeing the culprit sent to prison.  Voila!  Clare Westbrook was my defense attorney heroine, and she was involved with Tony Sonterra, a homicide detective, of course.  I’ve been writing for a long time, and I use many techniques to prime the pump—mixed media art is my hobby, and I find that I get some of my best ideas when I’m snipping, gluing, painting, etc.  I keep an art journal and make artist trading cards.  Trips are always good, too—a change of scene and environment is very stimulating.  I need a lot of visual stimulation, I find.  I spent a lot of time just looking at things, and imagining things that could happen.  I spent a lot of time in Europe, years ago, and oddly enough that was what clued me in that I needed to focus on westerns, since that’s basically my life.  You know the old saw, write about what you know.

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For more information about Linda and all her books, visit www.lindalaelmiller.com. To follow along on the blog tour, click here. And for a chance to win a copy of Big Sky Country, leave a comment below. Good luck!

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