RE-RELEASE: NEW EDITION OF SMALL TOWN SECRETS

In 2014, I released Small Town Secrets. The novel introduced Alex Taylor, a former NYPD sergeant and James Maguire’s old partner, who had lost her law enforcement career because of her drinking problem.

With Maguire’s help, she got the job as chief of police in the idyllic New Hampshire town of Penobscot. What should have been an easy assignment soon takes a dark turn when the body of a young woman is pulled from Lake Moriah.

As part of my introspection tour, I have been going over my previous works and doing a re-edit; fine tuning each book for the reader’s enjoyment. I recently re-released the newly edited edition of my 2nd Maguire novel, Queen’s Gambit. For Small Town Secrets, I not only re-edited the book, but also re-deigned the cover. While the substance of the book remains unchanged, I believe the newly edited edition enhances the reading experience.  

If you are looking to delve into a police procedural series featuring a tough-as-nails female protagonist, then consider giving Small Town Secrets a read.

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Winter 2019 – Update

Where have I been? It’s a question I often ask myself these days.

If you’re like me, this time of year can be quite hectic on the best of days, but being an author means that you have even more going on.

So far this Fall / Winter season I have done a complete re-edit of my debut novel, Perfect Pawn. I’d taken a hard look at it and decided that, since I have grown as a writer, I needed to focus on making it the best it could be. I believe the current edition meets those requirements without taking away from the overall story-line.

Since then, I have kept busy. I’ve completed the re-edits on the follow-up book, Queen’s Gambit, and hope to have that re-released later this month or the early part of January 2020. I’m also currently re-editing the first Alex Taylor novel, Small Town Secrets, and hope to have a re-launch of that book with a new cover.

I also decided to write a new book. This one marks my journey into a new genre: Supernatural, but I haven’t completely abandoned my origins. I took an idea and weaved it into a police procedural/mystery story. It was fun crafting the story-line, and I believe readers of both genres will find something to enjoy. At this time I am shooting for a release date in early 2020.

Speaking of 2020, with the release of the 5th Maguire novel, Glass Castle, I will be starting work on the 4th Alex Taylor novel. I’ve been busy doing the outline and I have about 6 chapters already fleshed out.

So there you have it, the goings on in the chaotic world of this writer. I hope that all of you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I extend my best wishes for a blessed Christmas.

See you in the New Year!

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RE-RELEASE: NEW EDITION OF PERFECT PAWN - FREE: 10/18-10/20

As an author, one of the inevitable questions you face from readers is, ‘When is your next book coming out?’

While it is a welcome question, because it indicates interest in your work, it places a burden on you to continue to look forward and generate new material.  That being said, sometimes you have to take a pause and look backward.

In 2012, when I wrote my debut novel, Perfect Pawn, I was a neophyte author. As I have told many of you, the book was written for my wife and I had never given any thought to publishing it, but that all changed in 2013. Over the course of the last several years, I have written and published eleven books and two novellas.

Like anyone who continues in their tradecraft, I would like to believe that my writing style has improved with each new release. This past summer, I had some critical reviews that caused me to take a break and revisit my past work. I’d like to say that the criticism was unwarranted, but it wasn’t.

There is a school of thought among many writers that you don’t re-write novels. Authors live to tell stories, but they also want the reader to enjoy the experience. As I re-read my book, I had to face the harsh reality that I had failed in certain areas.

American writer and Nobel Prize laureate William Faulkner famously said, ‘in writing you must kill all your darlings.’

With that acceptance, I sat down and took a long hard look at Perfect Pawn and decided to do my best to smooth the edges.

I started out with the idea of being a surgeon, using a scalpel to dissect specific areas, but I ended up chopping away at the book like Jason Voorhees’ machete at summer camp. It was brutal, but it was necessary.

I did my utmost to protect the integrity of the story, while culling out unnecessary parts and streamlining the rest. In the end, I believe the book is tighter than it originally was. It might not please every literary critic, most books don’t, but I believe that the majority will enjoy it much more than the original.  

To mark the 6th anniversary of the original release date, and s my way of saying thanks for your continued support, I am making the revised edition of Perfect Pawn available for FREE on Amazon Kindle from Friday, October 18, 2019, 12:00 AM (PDT) through Sunday, October 20, 2019, 11:59 PM (PDT).

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Amazon Rankings – Where Do I Stand?

With the release of my latest novel: GLASS CASTLE, I headed over to my Amazon page and discovered something that I thought was very interesting. So I thought I would share it with you.

On every book page, there is a ranking system for books in a particular genre. I was looking over the listings for Perfect Pawn.

While every author wants to be in the top 100, my genre of mystery is a very tough nut to crack. I’ve been there a few times, with several of my books, but it is very hard to maintain. But last night I saw something that I really hadn’t considered before and it got me to thinking.

Perfect Pawn is listed as being #41,544 in the Kindle Store. The number fluctuates, up and down, but it is usually within that ball park.

Now, that might seem like a high number, until you consider that there are over 3.4 million books in the Kindle Store.

So what does it mean? Well, when you break down the math, it means that my book ranks in the top 2% of kindle books sold on Amazon. Considering the competition I face, I would say that is something to brag about.

If you are looking to sink your teeth into a great police procedural / mystery series, and would like to find out the order in which to read them, you can find the chronological listing HERE.

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GLASS CASTLE - Pre-Order

The release date for the latest James Maguire NYPD novel: GLASS CASTLE, is officially set for Friday, August 23rd,  2019.

The pre-order option is now available on my Amazon webpage.

If you haven’t had the chance to catch up on the series you still have plenty of time. All my books are available over at Amazon.

GLASS CASTLE picks up nearly a year after Knight Fall (and roughly 6 months since Brooklyn Bounce, for those reading my books in order). Maguire has grudgingly accepted his new role as NYPD Police Commissioner, but soon finds himself questioning his decision when he is thrust into the middle of an investigation that threatens the very underpinnings of the city. As the case heats up, Maguire soon finds himself wondering who he can trust and reaching out to his past for help, but will that help come at a price?

If you are looking to sink your teeth into a great police procedural series, and would like to find out the order in which to read them, you can find the chronological listing HERE.

I want to thank all of you who have been so patient with this process; I know that it took a long time and I hope that you will enjoy the latest continuation of the Maguire series.

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