Just Released FUR THE WIN Appeals To Cozy Fans And Cat Lovers

Are you a cozy mystery fan and cat lover? Last year, I launched my second cozy mystery series with the publication of The Corpse Wore Gingham. It features a retired couple, Piper and Bill Robins, who take up amateur sleuthing (like doesn't every retired couple do that?). They're a good-natured partners who enjoy a loving marriage their snooping activities sometimes tests.

The second title Fur the Win came out a few weeks ago and continues their solving cases. The series is set in a suburb of Northern Virginia, and the cat's name is Snoozy Q. (I've been a cat owner for a long time, and we're on our third cat now. She's a tuxedo cat we call Frannie after the Frank Johnson character in my private eye series).
  
Here are the opening paragraphs to Chapter One in Fur the Win:

The wall telephone rang, and Bill Robins, frowning, picked up the handset. He’d just finished removing the last coffee mugs from the top rack of the dishwasher to put away on the cupboard shelf. He recognized Emily Davenport’s nasal voice from when she’d called him on previous occasions. Her octogenarian mother Anna, who lived one house down the street from the Robinses, had not answered Emily’s repeated phone calls or recorded voicemail messages over the past two days.

“I’m concerned about her,” Emily said. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Just name it, Emily,” he said.

“Would you mind going next door and check on her? She may have tumbled down the stairs and broken her leg or hip.”

“I hope not, and I’ll be glad to do it,” he said while shaking his head to mean he was anything but that. It was bad enough he went over to do the handyman tasks and sort of look after her. “I’ll call you right back as soon as I know something. Talk to you later.”

He hung up, grumbling to nobody in particular. Emily was about the only caller using the landline phone, and he regretted not getting rid of it. The Robinses were probably the lone holdouts on their city block to still have one.

“Quit grumbling,” Piper said from the kitchen doorway. She looked up at her husband who never put on any pounds. They dressed in cotton, hers the summery shade of beige and his taupe. “You sound like a sixty-eight-year old grump,” she said. “Who called us?” 

His short, slim wife’s sudden appearance surprised him. “Who called us the last time on the landline?” he asked. “Who leaves me grumbling?”

“Just tell me.”

“Emily Davenport from Bakersfield, California, requested me to visit next door and see how Anna is faring.”

“Why? Isn’t she answering her phone?”“You know she’s half-deaf and refuses to wear her hearing aid. Emily said she has been trying for the past two days to reach her with no success.”

“Did you agree to do it?”

He was annoyed. “Reluctantly, yes, I said I would like I always do.”

“Then we have no other choice but to take out five minutes and pop over to see what’s what.”

End of sample

Here's a handy list of the applicable links to find on Fur the Win:

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Piper-Bill-Robins-Cozy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01AOKYBIW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1456615221&sr=8-3&keywords=Ed+Lynskey
Barnes & Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fur-the-win-ed-lynskey/1123262771?ean=2940157852849
Kobo link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/fur-the-win
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28093861-fur-the-win
Thanks for checking out my two cozy mystery series.

My Late Winter Cozy Reading Sample: FUR THE WIN

Last year, I launched a new cozy mystery series with the publication of [book: The Corpse Wore Gingham|24404034] (it's now discounted at $1.99!). It features a retired couple, Piper and Bill Robins, who take up amateur sleuthing because they happen to be good at it. They are a good-natured couple who enjoy a loving marriage that's sometimes tested by their snooping activities.

The second title [book: Fur the Win|28093861] came out last month and continues their solving cases. The series is set in a suburb of Northern Virginia. The cat's name is Snoozy Q in case you wonder. Here are the opening paragraphs to Chapter One:

The wall telephone rang, and Bill Robins, frowning, picked up the handset. He’d just finished removing the last coffee mugs from the top rack of the dishwasher to put away on the cupboard shelf. He recognized Emily Davenport’s nasal voice from when she’d called him on previous occasions. Her octogenarian mother Anna, who lived one house down the street from the Robinses, had not answered Emily’s repeated phone calls or recorded voicemail messages over the past two days.

“I’m concerned about her,” Emily said. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Just name it, Emily,” he said.

“Would you mind going next door and check on her? She may have tumbled down the stairs and broken her leg or hip.”

“I hope not, and I’ll be glad to do it,” he said while shaking his head to mean he was anything but that. It was bad enough he went over to do the handyman tasks and sort of look after her. “I’ll call you right back as soon as I know something. Talk to you later.”

He hung up, grumbling to nobody in particular. Emily was about the only caller using the landline phone, and he regretted not getting rid of it. The Robinses were probably the lone holdouts on their city block to still have one.

“Quit grumbling,” Piper said from the kitchen doorway. She looked up at her husband who never put on any pounds. They dressed in cotton, hers the summery shade of beige and his taupe. “You sound like a sixty-eight-year old grump,” she said. “Who called us?” 

His short, slim wife’s sudden appearance surprised him. “Who called us the last time on the landline?” he asked. “Who leaves me grumbling?”

“Just tell me.”

“Emily Davenport from Bakersfield, California, requested me to visit next door and see how Anna is faring.”

“Why? Isn’t she answering her phone?”“You know she’s half-deaf and refuses to wear her hearing aid. Emily said she has been trying for the past two days to reach her with no success.”

“Did you agree to do it?”

He was annoyed. “Reluctantly, yes, I said I would like I always do.”

“Then we have no other choice but to take out five minutes and pop over to see what’s what.”

END OF SAMPLE

Here's a handy list of the applicable links to find on [book: Fur the Win|28093861]:

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Piper-Bill-Robins-Cozy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01AOKYBIW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1455978861&sr=8-3&keywords=Ed+Lynskey
Barnes & Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fur-the-win-ed-lynskey/1123262771?ean=2940157852849
Kobo link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/fur-the-win
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28093861-fur-the-win
Thanks for checking out my cozy mysteries.

My Book, The Movie: The Blue Cheer by Ed Lynskey

Ed Lynskey is a crime fiction writer and poet living near Washington, D.C. Here he shares his ideas about casting the main roles in a hypothetical film adaptation of his new novel, The Blue The Blue Cheer: A P.I. Frank Johnson Mystery:

If Tinsel Town ever has the impeccable taste (ha!) to make my latest novel, The Blue Cheer: A P.I. Frank Johnson Mystery:, into a film, I could see Mark Wahlberg playing the lead role of Private Investigator Frank Johnson. Mr. Wahlberg, born in 1971 and now 36, falls in about the same age range. They both have the same wiry build. Plus, Mr. Wahlberg snaring the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2006's The Departed (enjoyed seeing at the theater) can't hurt.

Since my PI books are written in first-person, I haven't devoted a lot of thought or included too much written description on Frank's physical appearance. Given all the jams he winds up in, and the rigors needed to extract himself, I'd say he's fairly young and athletic. If not, perhaps the director would hire a stunt double to film the action sequences.

On the other hand, Frank is something of a pulp novel buff. If using that as a guideline and dipping back in time, I'd tap Ralph Meeker (Kiss Me Deadly) or even further back, Dana Andrews (Laura). The only trouble is these three actors would need to speak with a Southern accent, but then that's why they're actors (and I'm not).

Frank's pal and sometimes employer, billionaire-lawyer Robert Gatlin is depicted as a husky man who relishes being in the public eye. Gatlin's brusque mannerisms and quick wits might translate well to a younger Fred Thompson (Law & Order). Besides an actor, Mr. Thompson is also a lawyer. His pivotal question from the Watergate hearings -- “Mr. Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?" -- rings like a Gatlin courtroom line. However, Mr. Thompson's latest political aspirations might tie him up for four years (or maybe more).

Frank's other friend, bail-bond enforcer (i.e., bounty hunter) Gerald Peyton, is a tougher call to make. Gerald, an African-American, is large, brawny, and a little rough around the edges. Perhaps Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), another Oscar best supporting actor nominee and an ex-bouncer/bodyguard, would be casted for the role. If we could stretch this casting across time, I'd argue for football running back/actor Jim Brown (circa 1967's The Dirty Dozen) to play the Gerald character.

Of course no PI movie can be complete without a romance interest for our detective-hero. I'd think the casting director would search for an intelligent, attractive, and tough-minded actress. Kelly McGillis (Witness, The Accused) comes to mind.

Putting together these disparate parts to make an ensemble cast is a like playing Fantasy Football. You'd want them to mix just so and develop the beautiful chemistry to deliver a classic performance. You know, a cult flick that sticks in the mind of viewers, luring them back to watch repeatedly. That, to me, is the best sort of movie to make ofThe Blue Cheer: A P.I. Frank Johnson Mystery.

Reprinted from Marshal Zeringue's web blog MY BOOK, THE MOVIE.

Tuesday's Forgotten Films: One Way Street Starring James Mason and Dan Duryea

This tough, little 1950 film noir was directed by Hugo Fregonese and stars James Mason, Märta Torén, and Dan Duryea. William Conrad also plays one of the hoodlums with uncredited appearances by Jack Elam (near the beginning) and Rock Hudson (near the ending). Most of the action occurs south of the border in ole Mexico. Dan Duryea plays a criminal chieftain who with his gang has ripped off 120 grand stashed in a black satchel. James Mason is a corrupt doctor who patches up the gangsters when they get shot like Cannon in the opening scenes. The gorgeous Torén is Duryea's girl until we find out she's worked an inside angle with Mason to swipe the 120 grand and flee for Mexico in a plane. Along the way, they experience engine problems and make a forced landing in a rural village. Mason and Torén find its lazy pace and remote location suit them well to hang out there. Of course, Duryea can't be double-crossed and is gunning for the two blissful lovers talking about marriage. The talented Torén was billed as the "Next Ingrid Bergman" until a cerebral hemorrhage tragically ended her life at age 31. The film was largely panned at the time of its release, but I liked it a lot. It's a treat to see film noir standards Duryea and Cannon act together in a movie. One Way Street is one of those solidly done films noir that has been largely neglected.

New Cozy Mystery Release Rounds Out the New Series

If you're a cozy mystery fan, then my blog post should interest you. The Corpse Wore Gingham: A Piper & Bill Robins Mystery, Book #1 is discounted to $1.99 during the release week of the second title Fur the Win to the series. Piper and Bill are a retired couple living in the suburbs who decide to become a pair of sleuths. Now admittedly it isn't something everybody, including myself, would ever take up. But Piper is rather headstrong, and she has certain ideas about how things should be, and Bill is the patient type of a husband who does his level best to go along to get along. That's not to say he always just agrees with Piper. Indeed, they have their differences, especially when it comes to their sleuthing adventures. If cozies are supposed to be about regular folks like you and me, then Piper and Bill fit the definition quite nicely. They are clever at what they do, and they are persistent. Cat lovers will like the inclusion of a funny tuxedo cat (like mine) in the storyline. So, consider starting their cozy series with more future titles to come.

How I Know Spring Can't Be Far Off

Last week the Blizzard of 2016 (I'm not sure what the next blizzard will be called if there is one in 2016) slammed our region. Fortunately, the milder temperatures this week have melted away a lot of the snowbanks. I'm not one to wish my life away, but I have to say the Washington National pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training two weeks from today signals that spring is coming right along. The first full squad workout is the following week. I follow other professional sports, but baseball was my first favorite sport, so I always give it preferential, special treatment. Of course, I want the Nationals to go all the way to the World Series, but I also realize there'd be no games if all the teams didn't play on the schedule. I sat waiting in my doctor's office, and they had on some TV sports channel rebroadcasting an Orioles game from the 1980s, I think. It was relaxing to watch. Remember the phenomenal Orioles' teams Earl Weaver managed? So, I'll just keep my head down writing and editing on my new projects until the first spring games begin. I usually catch them on the radio while I'm doing something else like blogging as I am now. Let's play two!