The Story Behind The Lemon House Murders by Tucker May

 

The Story Behind The Lemon House Murders

By Tucker May

The Lemon House Murders was born from a mixture of real-world experience and a lifelong love of mystery tales. It is set in a live-in drug rehab center. In 2022, I spent time in a rehabilitation facility to seek treatment for alcoholism. That facility ultimately became the setting for this book. While the story in the novel is entirely fictional, nearly everything about the house where the plot unfolds is based on my own experience. Many of the characters are loosely inspired by individuals I met while undergoing treatment. I am beyond pleased to report that I am now over four years sober and chasing my dream of being a novelist.

This novel is a gripping thrill ride that will keep readers guessing as to the identity of the culprit. There are clues, misdirections and shocking reveals like you'll find in any well-structured whodunit. What makes The Lemon House Murders truly special, though, is the thought-provoking social commentary, the challenges to long-accepted lines of thinking and the calls to deeply consider the ways our society treats the downtrodden that are baked into the narrative. 

I wanted to craft a story that can help people realize the true nature of addiction. It is not something that only happens to stupid people. It is not a personal or moral failure. It is an instance of the natural feedback processes baked into every human's brain going awry. It can happen to anyone who does not properly deal with their emotions and past traumas. Almost everyone knows someone who has struggled with addiction in some way. 

I hope that anyone who reads The Lemon House Murders comes away realizing one simple fact: people who have struggled with addiction are still people. We have skills and talents that can contribute to bettering the world. We have dreams and aspirations just like anyone else. We have value. Any time that someone recovers from addiction and gets their life back on track, everybody wins. And any time an addict dies, the world loses a precious life that brims with potential.

I am thrilled to share this book and its messages with the world at large. I hope you enjoy the ride. 

 

 

A string of mysterious deaths . . . A house full of suspects . . . A secret that will change everything…

When residents of a live-in drug rehabilitation facility called Lemon House start dying one by one, no one in the outside world seems to care.

Two Lemon House patients, nicknamed Trip and Gobstopper, are the only ones who can see the truth: these are murders.

Their quest to find the killer will push their budding relationship to the brink, cast suspicion on everyone locked in the house with them, and force them to question their most cherished beliefs.

The Lemon House Murders is the rare murder mystery that will have you guessing at the culprit AND thinking deeply about theology, society’s relationship toward the downtrodden, and the importance of self-determination to a fulfilling life.

╰┈➤ Read sample here. 

╰┈➤ The Lemon House Murders is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Book Details

• Genre: Mystery
• Sub-genre: Contemporary American Fiction
• Language:English
• Pages: 329
• ISBN: 978-1969306099

Tucker May is a writer of mystery novels, whodunit short stories and all kinds of fun, puzzling tales. Murders, crimes, and mysteries abound. He grew up in Missouri then attended Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He’s a diehard fan of the Los Angeles Rams and Geelong Cats. He lives in Pasadena, CA with his wife Barbara and their cat Principal Spittle. He is the author of The Lemon House Murders and Death of a Billionaire. 

╰┈➤ Visit Tucker’s website at www.tuckermay.com. 

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Tucker-May-Mysteries 

╰┈➤ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TuckerMayMysteries 

╰┈➤ BlueSky: http://www.bluesky.com/TuckerMayMysteries

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58926295.Tucker_May 

The Story Behind Raising the Dead by Jayne Lisbeth

 

 

 

 

The Story Behind Raising the Dead

By Jane Lisbeth

The story behind all my books focuses on the evolution and distillation of women’s lives through their loves and friendships. This is the engine that steers the ship of words I sail on. 

There are several backstories to Raising the Dead. First is my lifelong obsession with cemeteries. Their peacefulness has always beckoned me, their silent beauty. The many stories under, and on, tombstones, goads my imagination. My favorite hobby is creating gravestone rubbing prints, combining my love of history and art. I discover stories under and above each tombstone with names and dates carved in stone. I imagined a book to be written by spirits romping through cemeteries, preserving their family histories to those listening.  

I am a lifelong diarist. Over the years I revealed and discovered myself, friends and lovers. Now, my journals are a useful research tool. They are the zeitgeist of each era I have lived and learned through. All these times contribute to Raising the Dead, which is set in the early 1970s. 

In Raising the Dead my main protagonist, “Emeline,” is much like many adrift young women I have known. Emeline is bereft after the deaths of her parents. She has moved from her beloved childhood home on the California Delta, across the country to Virginia with her new husband. She meets “Felicity,” an older woman who becomes her dearest friend and mentor. The mystery of Raising the Dead arises with the sudden disappearance of Felicity, who Emeline has come to rely on. Emeline is heart-broken. She is determined to discover the whereabouts of her dearest friend and “other mother,” Felicity. Through the help of new friends Emeline makes, both living and dead, the mystery of Felicity is unraveled

The story behind the Raising the Dead evolves from a dear friend and mentor in my life who departed this world too early. She encouraged my writing and mentored me in every step of my own journey. Raising the Dead is a tribute to this remarkable woman. Her life is woven from the yarn which becomes the tapestry of my novel. Combining all these aspects of my backstory, Raising the Dead is a tale of friendships, history, a love of cemeteries and spirits. The final message of Raising the Dead is the importance of enduring love. 

Adding to this mix is my love of antiques and their restoration. My many years living in California are also a driving force, as well as my love of birds, wildlife, nature and the fauna of life.  

Readers and reviewers of Raising the Dead all agree they “could not put the book down.” The ending of my novel does not disappoint. Raising the Dead is a heart-warming tale of the haunting journey of a young woman maturing into womanhood.

 

 

 

Jayne Lisbeth’s second novel, Raising the Dead,  is a coming of age book which delves into the importance of friendship between women and men, strangers and spirits. 

Raising the Dead, bookmarked in the year 1979, is the exploration of a young bride’s struggle towards maturity and overcoming the depths of grief.  Ms. Lisbeth’s beautiful, poetic prose weaves history, love, friendship, reading,  culinary arts, crafts and the beauty of nature into the development of Emeline, the protagonist of this remarkable work. 

Synopsis: 

 Emeline, a new bride, has been  transported from her beloved home in the California Delta by her husband with their move to his mother’s home city, Charles Town, in Virginia.  Marooned in grief after the deaths of her beloved parents. a mysterious elderly woman, Felicity, befriends her. Through Felicity Emeline learns to love reading, cooking. She also becomes confident enough to reach out to others and form new friendships. Felicity teaches Emeline the craft of chair caning, which becomes a lucrative enterprise which further assists Emeline in her search for independence and maturity. When Emeline is most dependent on Felicity her friend mysteriously disappears. With the assistance of her new-found friends Emeline searches and discovers for her lost friend. Through the love of  friendship, her husband and her friends assist Emeline in her search for Felicity, Emeline’s mentor and “other mother,”  Emeline discovers a frightening spiritual reality which uplifts her in unimaginable ways. Through friendship she learns the value of love and the enduring spirit of those who have touched her life, even if they are no longer among the living.

Raising the Dead is a mystery to be unearthed by the reader in these poetic pages.  Loveable and quirky characters, both living and dead, entrance and entertain. Reviewers of Raising the Dead  “can’t put this book down” until they discover how and where Emeline finds her dear friend. Emeline’s  friendships, the development of her relationship with her husband and her search for Felicity help this young bride to move into her future. Emeline is a beloved heroine worthy of the most sophisticated and avid readers.

Raising the Dead is available at Amazon.

 

 

Jayne Lisbeth was born in NYC and continued her life’s journey from Long Island, to New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, California and Tampa, all places featured prominently in her writing.  Her first book, a memoir, Writing In Wet Cement has been published internationally by London based publisher, Austin Macauley. Jayne’s second book, Raising the Dead, a work of historical fiction, mystery, friendship and the supernatural, was published in 2023, also by Austin Macauley.  Ms. Lisbeth publishes monthly “Food for Thought” blogs on her website, Jaynelisbeth.com. Her “Food for Thought” blogs are based on her reflections of  life, friendship, love, and topical subjects of interest. Ms. Lisbeth’s non-fiction, poetry, and short stories have been published from Vermont to California to Tampa, Florida where she has received awards at the local level. She has been published locally in Pages of Our Life, volumes I and II which is currently part of the USF, Tampa, Geriartic Studies Programs. Ms. Lisbeth’s short stories have been published in the LEC Phoenix Anthologies, 2015-2023. Jayne’s interests include writing, reading, exploring, traveling, calligraphy, gravestone rubbing, entertaining and cooking.  Jayne’s author’s website is Jaynelisbeth.com. Ms. Lisbeth and her artist husband, Tim Gibbons, are the owners and founders of Funky As A Monkey Art Studio, providing art in public places and launching new and emerging artists in exhibiting their art.

Author Links  

Website | Amazon Website | Publisher’s Website | Facebook | Instagram

 

The Story Behind A Hush at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell

 

 

 

 

The Story Behind A Hush at Midnight

By Marlene M. Bell

For the second time since my writing journey began in 2009, I temporarily pushed myself away from adding the next installment to my Annalisse romantic mystery series. Instead, I went to work on fiction fundamentals—to hone my skills and become a better writer. A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT has been as therapeutic as jumping into the children’s book adventure was for me. 

When I wrote Mia and Nattie, One Great Team, I needed the outlet to get over the loss of our sweet Dorset ewe we’d raised in our laundry room for eight weeks and beyond. Nattie the Horned Dorset sheep spent thirteen incredible years with us. How she came to join the flock unlike our other sheep in the pasture, is a chronical of love and belonging. Both hers, and ours. Nattie had a special bond with my family—her existence an excellent reminder to children as well as adults. Nattie’s story became the little girl and her lamb working together and changing lives for the better.  

A great deal of time is spent examining editorial reviews and readers’ comments for each new body of work. After my last book, Copper Waters went live, I realized the time had come for me to take a break from the familiar and sharpen the characterization skills that had become too mushy for most new series readers. Writing a series can be tricky, especially in the area of backstory. How much past information does a reader need to be brought up on the current book? How many events and details from previous novels should be presented? Developmental editors are helpful but their ideas can be subjective, each having a different viewpoint. As for me, I write novels for reader entertainment. Reviews tell a writer everything they need to know about their genre skill level.

I set up a challenge for myself.

The task to write a standalone novel unrelated to my series with new characters in a different environment—and give them entirely new problems to solve just made sense. The new mystery presented hurdles I hadn’t expected, even though pulling ideas from personal experiences helped the creative process. 

I love the Annalisse series, but a mystery like A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT was necessary to propel me toward that upcoming installment in Annalisse’s saga with the debonaire, but not always perfect, Alec Zavos. 

The literary break from them has made a world of difference in the possibilities…

A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT launched on October 1, 2024. The early paperback proof went to bloggers and reviewers as early as August for their feedback—something new I tried with this novel. Time will tell if my strategy to step away from the series will strengthen later books and entice new readers. I hope so.

I decided to write A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT for the reasons mentioned in addition to giving me the chance to showcase a few of my other pastimes: Cooking from scratch and learning more about the history of our great nation. This novel takes place in the fictional town of Stenburg, in the historic South. Rural East Texas is where I live with my husband of 43 years and our newest members to the flock. Katahdin hair sheep. 

 

 

 

 

 

Marlene M. Bell brings distant friends together in the rural South only to have one of them become the victim of a brutal crime of passion.

Once celebrated for her show-stopping pastries and irresistible desserts, former celebrity chef Laura Harris is now making headlines for a far darker reason.

Laura has been accused of murder.

How could this petite chef have brutally smothered the beloved small-town matriarch, World War II ferry pilot veteran, Hattie Stenburg? Hattie wasn’t just a pillar of the community; she was Laura’s confidant and mentor. The shocking twist? Hattie had made recent changes to her will, bypassing next-of kin and leaving her entire fortune and historic estate to Laura.

As Laura scrambles to clear her name, she uncovers sinister secrets lurking beneath the town’s idyllic surface. The real murderer is always one step ahead, leaving taunting clues and threatening Laura to leave Texas—or face deadly consequences. With time not a luxury, Laura must untangle the web of deceit before the killer makes her the next victim.

A Hush at Midnight is available at Amazon.

 

 

Mystery at a killing pace.

Marlene M. Bell has never met a sheep she didn’t like. As a personal touch, her fans often find these wooly creatures visiting her international romantic suspense, thriller, and cozy mystery books as characters or subject matter. 

Marlene’s multi-award-winning Annalisse series boasts numerous Best Mystery honors for all installments including the newest IP Best Regional Australia/New Zealand, and Global Gold Award for the fourth cozy mystery from down under. 

Her children's picture book, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! written for the younger crowd, is based on true events from the Bell’s Texas sheep ranch. Suitable reading for ages 3 - 7 years and beyond, a Mom's Choice Gold Award winner, and Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Short List winner. 

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜ https://www.marlenembell.com 

Twitter ➜ https://twitter.com/ewephoric 

Facebook ➜  https://www.facebook.com/marlenembell 

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17642396.Marlene_M_Bell

 

The Story Behind The Golden Manuscripts: A Novel by Evy Journey

 

 

The Story Behind The Golden Manuscripts: A Novel

By Evy Journey

 

Are you ever curious how picture books and, by extension, even graphic novels, first began? Has it ever occurred to you that picture books might have illustrious beginnings?

Like most mothers, I read to my son when he was a boy, and I understand how wonderful children’s picture books can be. Pictures in books are not only entertaining, they also teach.

Today, we take picture books for granted. We love images. We whip out our cell phones and take pictures to preserve memories of instants in time.

I love illustrations in fiction and wish we did more of them. One of my favorites is an old almost tattered copy of a collection of Jane Austen’s novels featuring illustrations of scenes from her stories by a nineteenth century artist.  Before Masterpiece Theater and my exposure to films of 19th century England, these images shaped my limited conception of everything that was old English. Now, I have an ebook copy of an old illustrated Jane Austen collection. 

When an art history class introduced me to manuscript illuminations, I was amazed at the thought that illustrated books likely have medieval beginnings dating back to Charlemagne’s reign in the 9th century. While he revived classical art, his most lasting achievement is the flourishing of picture bookmaking. Most people in the Middle Ages couldn’t read, so he championed the creation of picture books to teach them about God.

Historians called those early picture books illuminated manuscripts or manuscript illuminations. They were handwritten and illustrated on parchment (dried and stretched animal skins), often by the same creator who painted the pictures. 

An illumination is a picture or illustration in a book that conveys the meaning of a piece of text. It’s “illuminated” through the use of gilding—gold or silver decorations on letters and figures.  In medieval times, these manuscripts represented a high art form. 

This intro compelled me to do extensive research into illuminated manuscripts. One of the articles I unearthed told of an actual theft by an American soldier during WWII of a couple of these rare manuscripts. It was eureka moment. I was left with no choice but to write a story around this theft of illustrated books.

To make the story more intriguing, and in keeping with the overall theme of the second set of standalone novels in my Between Two Worlds series, I chose a young biracial heroine who’s rootless and anxious to find a home for herself. The product is a literary novel based on actual events, into which I’ve woven mystery, historical, and romance elements.

 

 

Title: The Golden Manuscripts: A Novel

Author: Evy Journey

Pages: 360

Genre: Women's Fiction/Historical Fiction/Mystery

A young woman of Asian/American parentage has lived in seven different countries and is anxious to find a place she could call home. An unusual sale of rare medieval manuscripts sends her and Nathan—an art journalist who moonlights as a doctor—on a quest into the dark world of stolen art.  For Clarissa, these ancient manuscripts elicit cherished memories of children’s picture books her mother read to her, nourishing a passion for art.  When their earnest search for clues whisper of old thieves and lead to the unexpected, they raise more questions about an esoteric sometimes unscrupulous art world that defy easy answers.   Will this quest reward Clarissa with the sense of home she longs for? This cross-genre literary tale of self-discovery, art mystery, travel, and love is based on the actual theft by an American soldier of illuminated manuscripts during World War II.

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | Apple Books

 

Evy Journey writes. Stories and blog posts. Novels that tend to cross genres. She’s also a wannabe artist, and a flâneuse. Evy studied psychology (M.A., University of Hawaii; Ph.D. University of Illinois). So her fiction spins tales about nuanced characters dealing with contemporary life issues and problems. She believes in love and its many faces. Her one ungranted wish: To live in Paris where art is everywhere and people have honed aimless roaming to an art form. She has visited and stayed a few months at a time.

Author Links  

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

The Story Behind Better Safe Than Sorry by Mike Martin

 

 

 

The Story Behind Better Safe Than Sorry

By Mike Martin

 

Better Safe Than Sorry is a light mystery with some heavy themes underneath it. In some ways it captures the essence of a Sgt. Windflower Mystery. Dealing with difficult things while still managing to maintain a positive outlook. The story begins when the main protagonist, Sgt. Winston Windflower is on a break from his job as a Mountie, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He is spending more time in the small town of Grand Bank, Newfoundland with his young family, but feeling a little restless.

That all changes when a new kind of drug threatens the community. A deadly drug called a Green Monster which combines a number of potent drugs into a killer combination. That’s the starting point of the story and in real life there are such drugs circulating around all our towns and cities. You can’t ignore it and when faced with that reality, neither could Sgt. Windflower.

But crime and death and murder and mayhem are only parts of the story of Better Safe Than Sorry. There is also Windflower’s family and spiritual life, steeped in the lore of his people. He is a Cree from Northern Alberta. He sees things that others may miss, even in his dreams. And we are brought back to his love of food and music. He is exploring classical music these days under the tutelage of a trusted friend. 

He uses music to make a connection with what some may see as an unsavory character but together they listen to each other’s taste in music, finding a common appreciation. Above all Windflower stories like Better Safe Than Sorry are about finding a point of contact with people. One that is driven by his kindness and compassion and his openness to lifelong learning. 

Better Safe Than Sorry is the 14th book in the award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, but it, like all the other books in the series, can be read as a stand-alone story. The books have been nominated for many awards and Darkest Before the Dawn, Book 7 in the series, won the Bony Blithe Mystery Award as the best light mystery in 2019. All That Glitters, Book 13 was an Amazon best seller and shortlisted for the LOLA Must Read Book of the Year for 2024.

 

 

 

Title: Better Safe Than Sorry

Author: Mike Martin

Pages: 251

Genre: Mystery

Winston Windflower is (sort of) enjoying his retirement from the RCMP in Grand Bank, Newfoundland, happily spending time with his young family, but feeling a little restless. Corporal Eddie Tizzard is running the Marystown detachment and struggling with the demands of the role while his own family grows. When a new kind of drug threatens the community, a body (the wrong body) is found dead in a hearse, and then another drug-connected mysterious death occurs, Tizzard knows he’s dealing with a deadly menace in their quiet, close-knit community.

Windflower finds himself inexorably (and not unhappily) drawn back into the action, first in an unofficial role to help snare the dealers and then back to active duty in a community that desperately needs his steady hand and good judgement. 

Our favorite Mountie, Sgt. Windflower and his fellow courageous cops in small-town Grand Bank, Newfoundland are back to fight a new threat in this compelling page-turner. Award-winning author, Mike Martin once again brings us a stirring story, blending down-home Newfoundland charm with the warmth of family life. 

You can pick up your copy at Amazon.

 

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the award-winning author of the best-selling Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 14 books in this light mystery series with the publication of Better Safe Than Sorry. 

Mike is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild and Capital Crime Writers.

His latest book is the mystery, Better Late Than Never.

Author Links  

Website | Facebook | X (Twitter)