Author Notes on THE VIRTUAL VALENTINE

THE VIRTUAL VALENTINE is case number Four in my popular Minx Tobin Murder Mystery Series. For those of you not familiar with this series, click on the link for my Author Notes on THE BLOODSTAINED BISTRO, case number one, my Author Notes on THE ILL-GOTTEN INSURANCE, case number two, and my Author Notes on THE DUPLICITOUS DIVORCE.

Minx Tobin is a fitness instructor newly relocated to Los Angeles, California, who has a knack for solving puzzles--puzzles concerning dead bodies. For fun, romance, and... unexpected corpses, follow her adventures in this murder mystery series!

As you can deduce from the title, THE VIRTUAL VALENTINE has something to do with an online dating site. And, of course, Minx once again finds herself in a world of hurt... nothing virtual about it.

KISSES CAN BE DEADLY

The serial killer stalking Los Angeles will soon be served his just deserts. But that doesn’t mean Minx Tobin is out of danger. First, there’s a crank caller. Then her tire is slashed. Quite possibly, her throat is next. But if the throat-slashing murderer is out of the picture, then who has it in for Minx?

Gabe Harris works two full-time jobs. First is solving murders as homicide lieutenant for LAPD. Second is trying to keep his new girlfriend, Minx, out of danger. But this time, she isn’t to blame for her predicament. Gabe’s job is proving hazardous to her health.

Artist’s rendering of a possible cover

Desert Breeze Publishing has published all six (to date) Minx Tobin novels. THE VIRTUAL VALENTINE has received great reviews including FIVE Stars from Goodreads and 4.5 Stars from Sensual Reads! All books are available both electronically and in print.

Online serial dater turns out to be a serial killer. But when Death claims this murderer, why is Minx also in danger?

Amazon.com Ebook and Amazon.com Print

Here is a book trailer for THE VIRTUAL VALENTINE:

This book is part of the Intriguing Mysteries line.

Real life tidbit: I included an interest of mine in THE VIRTUAL VALENTINE--Lewis Carroll’s fantasy world. In my book, I created a café called the Mimsy Grove, based on Carroll’s poem, “Jabberwocky.” The café features servers dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. “Off with her head!” Oops!

Another real life tidbit: Los Angeles was the perfect spot to begin the Minx Tobin Murder Mystery Series, after she left her hometown. L.A. has such great energy. I’d always wanted to visit, but never had the chance (except for changing planes at the LAX airport). So by setting the story in L.A., I could experience it without the expense of travel! After living vicariously through Minx’s adventures in L.A., I was happy I was able to go there last year. Omigosh! Driving on the freeway is CRAZY! And speaking of freeways, Minx has a hair-raising experience on LA’s Interstate 5 headed for Mexico.

"I-5 South Sign San Diego"

by Flastic - Own Work/Flastic. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -

Scene Setup: Minx has been abducted and awakens with a nasty headache.

Not again.

That was Minx’s first thought. How could she not think that? Her head felt as if it was going to explode--again. And it also felt as if her seventeen stitches might grow in number to a few more.

The instrumental music, playing in the background, worsened her headache. Drums, trumpets, maracas all boomed painfully inside her brain.

Her second thought was to soothe the throbbing spot with her hand, only her hands, or rather her wrists hurt, too.

She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. A pair of gleaming stainless steel handcuffs cruelly cut into her skin, into the bones.

Instead of being scared, she was angry. It was too lovely a day to be cooped up inside a car, driving on a uniformly monotone Interstate, headed for some unknown destination, with a murderer by her side.

Without looking to her left, she had a pretty good idea who the driver was.

...

“You’re awake,” came the murderer’s grating voice.

“Yes, I am.” Minx turned to her tormentor. “Guess you didn’t hit my head hard enough.”

“I can fix that, you know.”

Minx pressed her lips together to keep from replying. The last thing she needed was another concussion.

...

Minx gazed at green traffic signs decorating the Interstate. Interstate 5. 

A bit of ‘Jeopardy’ trivia came back to her. Interstate 5 was the only Interstate highway to touch both the Canadian and Mexican borders.

The type of music in the car and the general direction clinched the deal: the murderer was headed for Mexico.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoy Minx and Gabe’s adventures. There are lots more surprises in store for them as the series progresses. Case Number Five is THE YULETIDE YORKSHIRE.

Happy reading,

Susanne Marie Knight

www.susanneknight.com

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist!

Author Notes on SOJOURN THROUGH TIME

Way back when... last century, late eighties... I began writing my first novel. I know it’s hard to believe but at that time the genre of Time-Travel Regencies wasn’t invented yet! I had a yen to see how a modern heroine would handle the society constraints of the early nineteenth century, so I wrote one myself. The result is this blog’s latest topic: SOJOURN THROUGH TIME.

As with many authors’ first novels, this book remained stashed away for quite a while. Friends and family enjoyed this tale, but I knew it wasn’t ready for prime time. Many books later, I dusted it off, re-edited it to bring it “up-to-date” for today’s audiences, and then submitted it to a small publishing house. Very soon, a contract was signed.

SCARRED BY LOVE: As recently divorced Alexandra Stanford waits for her flight to London, she has no idea her actual destination will be in the past. Will she be able to overcome her culture shock and learn to entrust her future to a most persistent duke?

DROPPED ON THE DOORSTEP: When Malcolm, the Duke of Milcaster, finds Alex on his estate, he immediately intends for her to be his new mistress. Alex, however, has other ideas on the subject. Can he overlook her peculiar ways and convince her that they are meant to be as one?

Artist’s concept cover

Alas, the historical line of the company folded, and once again I shopped SOJOURN THROUGH TIME around. Awe-Struck Publishing (Mundania Press) very happily picked this book up and it has been with them for many years. However, it’s very possible that the publisher for this book will change soon. Stay tuned!

What happens when a nearly betrothed duke discovers an unexpected “package” delivered to his estate?

Amazon.com

SOJOURN THROUGH TIME has become a reader favorite and has earned a “Recommended Read” from Simply Romance Reviews, and multiple FIVE star ratings from Amazon.com, Goodreads, and Euro-Reviews, who wrote, “Clever, fascinating and highly entertaining! Susanne Knight breathes life into endearing characters in unusual situations that give emphasis to the word UNUSUAL. A must read.”

This time-travel Regency also achieved bestseller status on the Fictionwise.com list! And, this book is part of the prestigious Elegant Regencies line.

Real life trivia: I’ve always had an interest in art, and graduated from New York’s School of Music and Art. Alexandra Stanford, who is an art broker, also has a passion for art... and history, as I do. When she visits the British Museum (in 1802 located in Montagu House, home of the first Duke of Montagu), I also get to experience the wonders of the museum. The following scene is with Alex and Malcolm, the Duke of Milcaster, where Alex views the famous Rosetta Stone.

Wrangling male voices broke through Alex’s concentration, disturbing the quiet atmosphere. In the corridor a short distance from her, a group of well-to-do men gestured wildly at each other while French and English words volleyed back and forth as in a championship game of tennis. Always curious, she unobtrusively slipped nearer to find out what the fuss was about. Craning her neck, she spotted the black rock on display. Her mouth couldn’t help dropping.

"Oh my," she gasped. "It’s the--"

"Catching flies, Alex?" Malcolm suddenly appeared by her shoulder.

Two surprises at once! She patted at her heart to keep it from escaping. "Ah, hi, Malcolm, where on earth did you come from?"

"A rather technical question, my dear." As he straightened the lace on her collar, he smiled. "I believe the fourth Duke and Duchess of Milcaster were responsible for my entrance into this world."

Alex flushed. "No, silly!" She turned back toward the stone. "Do you know what this is?"

He rubbed his chin. "An oddly shaped slab of basalt rock?"

What a character! "The Rosetta Stone; the Rosetta Stone! These men say it’s newly arrived at the museum. Did you know it’s inscribed in three scripts--Greek, Demotic, and Egyptian hieroglyphs? Once this is deciphered, it’ll provide a key to understanding hieroglyphs."

"And this is good news to me?"

She made a face at him. "Honestly, Malcolm, this is big, really big. Imagine. I just overheard these men saying the stone was confiscated by the British from the French, after they surrendered in Egypt last year. So that would make the year...um..."

He firmly gripped her upper arm and led her away from the stone. "’01, to be exact. I find it peculiar how the year eludes you. I am, to be sure, elated at this news. However, my aunt and my daughter grow restive peering at moldy paintings, Aunt Olivia’s word, not mine."

Alex quietly enjoyed the touch of his hand around her arm. Delicious daydreams teased her as she wondered what it would feel like if he allowed his hand to wander.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoy Alex and Malcolm’s story.

Happy reading,

Susanne Marie Knight

www.susanneknight.com

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist!

Author Notes on UNCOVERING CAMELOT

I’ve always been mesmerized by the mystical tale of King Arthur and Camelot. Honestly, who isn’t intrigued by this long ago tale? Is King Arthur real? Is the story truly magic or just a tale imagined by a wandering troubadour? Writing about this fascinating legend was something I’d wanted to explore for a long time. When I learned--just by chance (or was it??)--that there was a Stonehenge Memorial in Washington State, well, that sealed the deal for me!

Although many authors use the five elements of writing fiction: Who, What, When, Where, and Why to lead to the sixth element--Plot--I usually do the reverse. I come up with the plot, the idea of a story, and then decide the who, what, when, where, and why after that. So the idea was to write a fantasy romance based on the folklore of King Arthur, but to give it a modern twist.

A VACATION RUINED--Heather Woods suddenly learns her boyfriend, Connor, cancelled their summer plans. Determined to forget about him, she visits her flaky godmother, Nerissa, instead, for an impromptu vacation. Nerissa insists that Heather has a healing gift, something Heather doesn’t believe. But when she experiences visions... hallucinations... or whatever her jaunts back to Camelot are, she fears for her sanity. Meeting a man that might actually be Merlin the magician, and his very attractive nephew, Matthew, along with assorted other characters convince Heather that she’s in the middle of a strange, metaphysical phenomenon.

A VACATION CHANGED--Judge Matthew Limner also finds his vacation plans changed. He receives a call from a long-lost Uncle Mallory--so long-lost that he hadn’t even known Mallory existed. Mallory flies in from London, and expects to go sightseeing with Matthew. Resigned, Matthew plays the host. First stop: the Stonehenge Memorial in southern Washington. A chance encounter--or is it?--with Nerissa and Heather convince Matthew that something much more than coincidence is happening in this tiny corner of the world.

Artist’s rendering of a possible cover

An urgent summons resurrects Merlin the magician to once again meddle in the affairs of men.

Amazon.com and Smashwords.com

UNCOVERING CAMELOT is available at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com, in addition to other internet locations. It’s received great reviews including 5 Stars on Amazon!

Here is a book trailer for UNCOVERING CAMELOT:

This book is part of the Magical Fantasies line.

Here’s a real life connection. A chance remark by a friend about being the youngest child in a family of seven daughters set me to thinking. Seven daughters conjured up fairy tales I’d read growing up. The hero of the fairy tale was often the seventh son of the seventh son. I couldn’t ignore this opportunity. My heroine, Heather Woods, had to be the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter, thereby enabling her to have a magical experience.

Also, since the Stonehenge replica built in Washington State plays an important role in the novel, I had to go on a field trip. I found the monument lovely, eerie, and quite desolate. 

Below is a passage from UNCOVERING CAMELOT where Heather finds out she’s going to visit the Stonehenge Memorial with her godmother Nessisa and her three mysterious friends. 

As the evening wore on, the women talked around her, sometimes stopping to ask Heather questions--questions mostly pertaining to her love life--or lack thereof.

For some reason, Heather couldn’t actively participate in the conversation. It was almost as if she was a child in a room full of adults. Which was funny, really, for she was a kindergarten teacher--her job, of course, to be the only adult in a room full of kids.

The women’s voices droned on, weaving around her like a sorceress’ chant. She yawned. She couldn’t help it. After she yawned a second time, she closed her eyes.

The heavy scent of rhododendron incense displaced the fresh nighttime air. Blinking, she opened her eyes. A cloudy mist hid the backdrop of the yard, the oak trees, and the utility shed.

She wasn’t alone. The women were still there, sitting in a circle around her. They’d changed clothes, though. All four women wore white robes.

What? Heather shook her head. The vision cleared. Nerissa was back in her pink muumuu, Arlene had on her jean short shorts, Brenna wore capris, and Cara sported her polyester pants and button-down blouse. Everything was back to normal. Even the fragrance of rhododendrons was gone.

“So, Heather, it’s a date, then,” Arlene said brightly, and slapped her on the back. “I’m looking forward to showing you the Stonehenge Memorial on Saturday.”

Stonehenge? What in the world was Arlene talking about?

Cara broke her silence by saying she was ready to go. Evidently, when Cara was ready, she was ready in capital letters. Her two companions quickly helped her to her feet, then guided her down the stairs onto the grass.

It was pitch dark out on the lawn, even with the porch lights on. They took their time walking over the uneven ground. Nerissa, more surefooted, led the way.

With waves goodbye and plans to meet again on Saturday morning, the three left through the back gate and walked toward a parked dark car.

Heather waited on the porch for Nerissa to return. Why couldn’t she recall the conversation? And Stonehenge--she’d always wanted to view the replica of the ancient Neolithic landmark, but had never had the chance to visit. Saturday would work out perfectly.

But still, she should’ve remembered talking about it with the group.

And what about the mist and the white robes?

She twirled a limp lock of hair around her finger. What was going on at Nerissa Emery’s house?

Visiting Goldendale and Maryhill, Washington where the Memorial is located, also gave me a chance to wander through the beautiful Maryhill Museum. Here I across a lovely sculpture that I incorporated into the story.

Scene Set-up: On the grand lawn of the Maryhill Museum, Heather walks with Desmond Redmord, a man with an uncanny resemblance to Camelot’s Mordred, Arthur’s nephew and illegitimate son.

Desmond pointed at a beautiful glass sculpture, wavy with multicolored stalks as if imitating a living plant. Sitting on a blanket just beyond the chained area around the sculpture was a dark-haired woman. Her hair was so dark as to be midnight black--long and flowing. She stared at Heather with a gaze as piercing as Desmond’s. Her vivid red lips were turned into a petulant frown.

Heather gulped down unease. Did she really want to meet Moriah Redmord, a woman who just might’ve been the reincarnation of the medieval witch, Morgeuse?

I hope you enjoy Heather and Matthew’s magical story.

Happy reading,

Susanne Marie Knight

www.susanneknight.com

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist!