The Story Behind Slay Bells by T.C. Wescott

My inspiration for the Christmas Village Mysteries came largely from drawing upon what I enjoy seeing and what I enjoy reading. When I decided I’d try my hand at writing a cozy mystery series, I wanted to go super-cozy, and the coziest thing I could think of were those little Christmas villages Slay Bells like a classic mystery but with the trappings of a modern cozy.

sets you see every December, with the quaint old-fashioned buildings and shops. I needed a sleuth and Mrs. Claus just clicked into place in my brain when I thought of her. It had to be her! As a reader I’ve always enjoyed the intricacy and ingenuity of the classic mysteries. I don’t like to figure out who the killer is on page 18 and be proved right at the end. I like to think I know who the killer is and be proved wrong. So, I knew I wanted to write

I also enjoy a little extra mystery in my books. Being a fan of Golden Age maestro, John Dickson Carr, I’ve always been fascinated by locked room or impossible mysteries. I wanted to work that into at least some of my Christmas Village Mysteries to give my readers an extra layer of fun and suspense. And to present myself with a bigger challenge than just dropping some hints and unmasking a fiend at the end.

Although Slay Bells, the first book in the series, takes place during the week of Christmas, I plan to explore the village in different times of year in subsequent books. If readers are interested in reading a Halloween Christmas Village book, or ones that take place in the summer, or Valentine’s Day, etc., I will have them. I absolutely loved learning about the village as I wrote it for Slay Bells and am excited about exploring the furthest corners of it. Turning over rocks and seeing what magic emerges. I’m outlining the next book now and intend to explore the village library and historical museum in it, getting to know some characters only referenced in Slay Bells. I’m learning that one of the beautiful things about writing a series is that you can create a world you love and continue to visit it whenever you want, and it’s a shared experience between writer and reader. 

About the Author:

T.C. Wescott was born in Missouri but has lived in Oklahoma most of his life. Like pretty much every author who has ever breathed, he is an avid reader. His favorites are classic mysteries from the Golden Age, as well as just before or just after that period (which is widely considered the period between the two World Wars). His first mystery novel, Running from Scissors, was published in July 2018 and will be the first of at least three books in the Running Store Mystery series.

The Christmas Village Mystery series launched in November of the same year with the debut title Slay Bells. The formula for his books is simple – mixing the classic, traditional detective fiction standards with all the trappings of the modern cozy mystery.

Wescott is also (under another name) the author of two award-winning non-fiction books as well as many essays and articles.

His latest book is the cozy mystery, Slay Bells (A Christmas Village Mystery).

Website Address: www.tcwescott.com
Twitter Address: www.twitter.com/MousetrapBooks
Facebook Address: www.facebook.com/BetterMousetrapBooks

The Story Behind The Atlantis Deception by Mark H. Jackson

The Atlantis Deception is my first foray into the tumultuous world of novel writing, and a book I started writing way back in 2009. The journey to publication has certainly been lengthy and one scattered with numerous moments of elation, despair and lashings of writer’s block. In what feels like a different lifetime, I studied Archaeology and Ancient History at university with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on topics such as the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars;

portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plot for The Atlantis Deception was born.

If I were reading the novel, I imagine it would come as quite a shock to discover that most of the theories described are based on facts and evidence already publicly available. A medieval map of Antarctica showing the continent without ice does exist; the various sets of pyramids across Egypt do all point to a specific point in Heliopolis; there is evidence to suggest the Great Sphinx at Giza is thousands of years older than the current accepted date – the list goes on and on. The more I read around what is patronisingly termed, alternative archaeology, the more I wanted to be involved. I wanted to spread the word and alert people to the numerous bizarre and obscure nuances in our shared history. The best medium I could think of was to write a novel.     

First and foremost I wanted to create a credible piece of escapist entertainment, but if I can realise that aim whilst educating and creating a situation whereby my readers can question the rhetoric of the establishment, all the better. I’m not saying we should all be looking for conspiracies under every rock, only that it is sometimes worth enquiring as to why certain rocks are harder to lift…

I am published by the crowdfunding publisher, Unbound (which had links to Penguin at the time). The route is still in its infancy and certainly cannot be considered an easy option. Unbound set a target figure to publish, between £4k and 20k depending on how the novel is published, digital only, paperback, hardback or audio. As an author, it is then up to you to market and sell your novel on the basis of customers receiving a pre-order and additional rewards depending on the pledge level (art prints, name in the novel or even dinner with the author, to name but a few).

The application stage is no different to any other traditional publisher although as a result of the funding mechanism I understand around 1 in 10 books are accepted and of those accepted, around 1 in 10 make it through to publication. It is certainly a tough introduction into the world of publication and certainly sets you up for the post-publication marketing phase. I now have the hide of a Rhino due to the countless number of rejections received! 

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to interact with my readers and potential readers. I am always available and willing to discuss my work or wider questions in general. Please do not hesitate to get in touch via the following mediums and thank you again for taking an interest in my work.

About the Author

Mark is a qualified solicitor who splits his time between protecting the rights of academics, writing thriller fiction and raising five mostly lovely children. He studied Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Birmingham with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars; portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plots for his future novels were born.

Mark’s writing career extends back over a decade and his diverse portfolio includes three novels, a number of short stories and even a six-part sitcom. Long listed for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, he is currently a featured author on the popular writing website, Wattpad, with over 6,000 followers from all around the world and well over one million reads of his first novel. Aside from Wattpad, Mark is an active member on a number of other writing websites, spending his spare time offering editorial and structural advice to fellow authors. Up to now Mark has considered writing as a creative outlet for the myriad of characters and ideas roaming about his head. The time has come to tease them out of hiding and breathe a little life into their lungs.

His latest book is the adventure/thriller The Atlantis Deception.

Website Link: https://markhjackson.com/

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/MarkJackson873

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/AtlantisDeception/