In The Delta

In The Delta
In The Delta

Saturday, December 22, 2012

First Non FIction Book Published

My first non fiction book Luv'n Horses published today.  It was written for horse loving riders like me who have some fear - a little or a lot.  I hope that my experiences help people to overcome their fears so that they can more fully enjoy their wonderful horses.

This is the link to go to for a full description.
CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/4098722.

The book will be available in paperback on Amazon as well and in a Kindle edition.

It is a relatively short book and priced accordingly.  

Thank you.



Saturday, December 8, 2012

Free download of A Place Called Locke

I forgot to post on my blog that the Kindle edition of A Place Called Locke, the newest Delta mystery is available now through Tuesday.  Following is the synopsis:


The quiet nicker of a horse, the song of nightbirds, a chorus of frogs - the background to sleep on tranquil Sutter Island - are replaced by the ringing of a phone.  From Mexico comes a desperate plea disguised as a casual request.

A young doctor has fallen in love with the wrong woman.  His love will lead him into a web of deceit and danger as he is forced to become part of a plan to smuggle drugs up the California coast.

In The Delta, Jessie Red Cloud is returning to her work as a Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy, unaware that she and her friend and former partner Bodie McDonald are about to be drawn into a secretive task force, led by a man who trusts no one.

Two groups of people are on a collision course, one that will lead them to a deadly confrontation in the quiet backwater behind a place called Locke.

Thank You to a Reader

I received this wonderful message from a reader and wanted to share:

To my friend Robert Lauersdorf Wilder and others who may not get back "home" often enough. Ms. Klengler's books called Maggie Ryan Volumes One and Two will bring home to you. I have read them and went back to Red Arrow, Henes Park, Mickey Lu's, UW-Marinette, etc. I read many books but never had such an experience as when I read those. Also, it was on this page that I became aware of them and our home town author. Thank you for the experience Ms. Klengler!

The reader is George Dobbins.  He is from my home town, but we have never met.  His words were especially welcome as Maggie Ryan could be dismissed as a "woman's story" although it is more a family saga and a remembrance of a place and time past.  Thank you George.

Monday, November 12, 2012

ACTS OF CONTRITION - FREE KINDLE EDITION

A free download of the Kindle edition of Acts of Contrition will be available beginning Friday November 16, 2012 through Tuesday November 20.  A perfect time to read the sequel to The Movie Murderer, prior to the 2013 release of the 3rd book in the series.  

LAPD Homicide Detective Rick Sandler and Katie O'Hara are back in this sequel to The Movie Murderer.  Someone is leaving a trail of working girls strangled in motels along Sepulveda Boulevard, his signature a dark blue scarf.  As Rick and John search for the killer in the Gentlemen's Clubs of the San Fernando Valley, they encounter a panoply of night people, a Russian who loves Bullwinkle the Moose, a duo of pole dancers whose act features their impersonation of The Jersey Shore's Snooki and Luscious Lily whose resemblance to Katie captivates John.

Meanwhile, with the help of her friends, the Bravo's brothers, Katie is investigating a series of suspicious suicides, tied together by a Catholic parish led by a pair of very different priests, the charismatic Father Jonas, who Katie privately believes is too attractive to be celibate, and Father Mark, an old testament cleric who believes in an eye for an eye.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Place Called Locke - New Delta Mystery

The latest book in The Delta Mystery Series publishes this week.  Look for it in both paperback and Kindle.

The quiet nicker of a horse, the song of nightbirds, a chorus of frogs - the background to sleep on tranquil Sutter Island - are replaced by the ringing of a phone. From Mexico comes a desperate plea disguised as a casual request. 
 
A young doctor has fallen in love with the wrong woman. His love will lead him into a web of deceit and danger as he is forced to become part of a plan to smuggle drugs up the California coast. 
 
In The Delta, Jessie Red Cloud is returning to her work as a Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy, unaware that she and her friend and former partner Bodie McDonald are about to be drawn into a secretive task force, led by a man who trusts no one. 
 
Two groups of people are on a collision course, one that will lead them to a deadly confrontation in the quiet backwater behind a place called Locke.

Saturday, October 6, 2012


For my readers who enjoyed Maggie Ryan Volume One, the Kindle edition of Volume Two will be offered free beginning Friday October 12 through Tuesday October 16.  I’ll post a reminder on Thursday.

As Volume One ended, Maggie's life took a downward turn. Saddened by Paul's departure, she focused on her studies but that dream ended with an unintended pregnancy.

Volume Two opens with the introduction of Joseph Dodge, a man raised in violence, who laid a gentle hand on everything he touched. Joseph comes to Maggie with the horses that Dan buys to lift her out of depression. But the gift has unintended consequences, as Maggie finds a love for which she will sacrifice everything.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

I am just completing the latest book in The Delta Mystery Series - titled A Place Called Locke.  Following is a description:


The quiet nicker of a horse, the song of nightbirds, a chorus of frogs - the background to sleep on tranquil Sutter Island - are replaced by the ringing of a phone.  From Mexico comes a desperate plea disguised as a casual request.

A young doctor has fallen in love with the wrong woman.  His love will lead him into a web of deceit and danger as he is forced to become part of a plan to smuggle drugs up the California coast.

In The Delta, Jessie Red Cloud is returning to her work as a Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy, unaware that she and her friend and former partner Bodie McDonald are about to be drawn into a secretive task force, led by a man who trusts no one.

Two groups of people are on a collision course, one that will lead them to a deadly confrontation in the quiet backwater behind a place called Locke.

It will publish sometime later this Fall in both Paperback and Kindle editions.

MAGGIE RYAN VOLUME TWO FREE

I will be offering a free Kindle download of Maggie Ryan Volume Two in early October.  Please watch this site and Facebook for details.  For those of you who read Maggie Volume One, I hope you will come back to read the end of her story.  Unlike the Delta Mysteries, or the Rick and Katie L.A. mysteries, Maggie Ryan was a very personal and very real work.  I hope that it touched you in some way.  Thank you.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

MAGGIE RYAN VOLUME ONE FREE

Maggie Ryan Volume One FREE promotion begins Friday September 7 through Tuesday September 11, 2012. Here's a peek:


Maggie Ryan is a saga of two families united by one woman. 

On the shores of Green Bay, an inlet of Lake Michigan, Maggi
e Kelly, beloved daughter of an Irish bar owner, comes of age in the neighborhood of Menekaunee, considered by some to be the wrong side of town.

At 15, she becomes the lover of Michael Kelly, son of a wealthy family. Their life and future happiness seem assured, until the arrival of Michael's brother Dan. Dan falls disastrously in love with Maggie, and determined to have her, sets about to get what he wants, no matter what the cost.

Dan will have Maggie, for awhile at least. But times change and Maggie changes with them, testing the limits of her freedom.

At the end of Volume One, Maggie appears trapped by circumstance, but her life takes an unexpected turn in Volume Two, when she meets the man she will love above all else, a man for whom she is willing to sacrifice everything.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

My Newspaper Column

I am pleased to announce my guest column appearing in The Burbank Leader and The Glendale News Press.  Since I am a guest columnist, my Reflections from the Rancho runs as space permits, generally once a month.  So far, it has appeared in Saturday's editions and this past weekend, it appeared in The Glendale News Press but not the Leader.  If you are interested, and you missed the paper, you can check it out at the newspapers web sites on line.

Friday, August 10, 2012

A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE - IT'S FREE THIS WEEKEND

BEGINNING TODAY FRIDAY AUGUST 10 THROUGH MONDAY AUGUST 13, YOU ARE INVITED TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE KINDLE EDITION OF A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE - IF YOU'RE MISSING NICK AND JESSIE, IT'S A NICE DISTRACTION FROM THESE HOT AUGUST DAYS AND NIGHTS.  PRETEND YOU'RE IN THE DELTA ENJOYING THE WATERWAYS AND THE LITTLE DELTA BREEZE IN THE EVENING.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Another Reason To Love The Delta

Take a look at these great pictures taken outside Al The Wops in Locke CA.  Another thing to love about The Delta - you can ride over and have a cold one while your horse naps in the shade.

Missin the place already.  Playin The Lotto in hopes of winning enough to buy that place over on Brannen Island Road.  Wish me luck.


Monday, July 9, 2012

Delta Mystery Writer Joan Klengler: On June 25, 2012 I got on the 5 North and headed f...

Delta Mystery Writer Joan Klengler: On June 25, 2012 I got on the 5 North and headed f...: On June 25, 2012 I got on the 5 North and headed for The Delta. Unlike previous trips, this one wouldn't include a transfer from the car to...
On June 25, 2012 I got on the 5 North and headed for The Delta. Unlike previous trips, this one wouldn't include a transfer from the car to a houseboat. This was a solo trip and, without my husband, I thought navigating a 42 foot houseboat would be a bit much. It was a surprisingly quick drive.

 I arrived in Stockton just after lunch, checked into my motel and went exploring. First stop the downtown waterfront. After a wrong turn which took me to the Port of Stockton, a restricted area, I found my way to the Downtown Stockton Marina. The Waterfront Marina is beautiful, with a long promenade along the Stockton Deepwater Channel past slips housing a variety of boats. My timing was fortunate. Moored at the guest dock is the Casino Royale, a 162 foot private motor yacht. Actual tours are not available but you can enjoy photos of the interior in a virtual tour online. Just go to visitstockton.org and check it out.

 The Waterfront Warehouse is still home to several restaurants and some businesses, but it has been severely impacted by the downturn in the economy, as has the City. While there, I got the news that the City had become the largest city in the country to file for bankruptcy.

 The Village West Marina is another place worth a visit. Take the Benjamin Holt exit West and look for the signs on your right. I enjoyed a delightful double portion of the Grilled Prawn Cocktail from the Appetizer menu for dinner. Enormous garlicky prawns grilled over a wood fire are served with homemade salsa and guacamole. Outstanding with a couple of glasses of Pinot Grigio, followed by a dessert of Hunter's Ice Cream Cake.

 Just North of Stockton, I drove Eight Mile Road west until it dead ends at the Venice Island Ferry and visied Herman and Helen's Marina on Little Potato Slough. The cafe was only open for breakfast and lunch when I was there on a weekday. The owner/manager? said dinner is served on weekends as business is slow during the week. Another sad result of the economy as, when we went houseboating there, we were able to get dinner any night of the week, even in the winter. I walked the levee road to where it ends at Light 11 for a look at the Deep Water Channel which takes you to downtown Stockton. One of the highlights of houseboating was to overnight at Lost Isle, accessible only by water so I was unable to enjoy it this time around.

 Got an early start on Tuesday and took the 5 North to Highway 12. I detoured into Tower Park Marina thinking I would have breakfast there. Again, found another victim of the economy. The restaurant is only open for breakfast on weekends. The boat dock was empty as well even though it was the end of June.

 I left Tower Park and continued on State Road 12 which crosses the junction of Little Potato Slough and the South Fork of the Mokelumne River. I exited on Andrus Island and drove the Delta Loop, passing B and W Resort (no vacancies), Lighthouse Resort and Willow Berm Marina. I had to stop at Riverboat Marina, formerly Moore's Riverboat, because it was a favorite destination for us as houseboaters. Some years back, the original place burned down, but it has been rebuilt and looks the same from the outside. Guest docks are available and the bar and restaurant look the same although there are no longer panties hanging from the ceiling. (No, I don't know how that tradition got started or why it was not continued when the place was rebuilt. Perhaps we are too politically correct nowadays).

From there I went to another favorite spot Korth's Pirate's Lair, at the junction of the North Fork of the Mokelumne and the San Joaquin Rivers. I enjoyed breakfast at the cafe there. It is one of many idyllic spots in The Delta. The Delta Loop continues past a number of Marinas, including another favorite of ours, Happy Harbor, where we put in one winter day after a particularly harrowing trek on the San Joaquin River. We felt truly happy in their snug harbor and woke in the morning to dense fog. (See the cover of In The Delta - the picture was taken on that long ago winter morning.)

 Completing the Loop, I crossed highway 12 and drove through the lovely little town of Isleton, worthy of a real visit in the future. Now I was on Isleton Road along the bank of the Sacramento River, and in no time I found myself at my destination, the towns of Walnut Grove and Locke. If you've read my Delta Mystery Series, you are already familiar with the big Green Bridge over the Sacramento from one side of town to the other and Boon Dox where Jessie ties up her boat when she goes shopping at The Big Store. Yes, those are real places and they haven't changed in the years since my last visit.

 Since I did not have a houseboat, I needed a place to stay in the heart of this, my favorite part of The Delta. That place is The Ryde Hotel, where Nick and Jessie had their wedding, and a romantic tryst in a later book. The Ryde is located just outside Walnut Grove on the Sacramento River. It was built in 1927 and retains the charm of its beginnings. Little has changed in the decades since. There are no elevators, air conditioners, telephones or televisions in the rooms, although there is a lounge with a television, if you must know what's going on in the outside world. My third floor room overlooked the River and a ceiling fan kept it relatively comfortable during the heat of the day. Evenings, open the window for that Delta breeze and you'll never miss the air conditioning. There is an outdoor swimming pool and those beautiful grounds for weddings and other special events. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed during the week I was there, open only on weekends like so many places in the region. These are the things you don't notice when you are boating and eating a lot of meals on board.

 Once I was settled, I headed straight over to the adjoining Chinese community of Locke, a picturesque step into the past. It is not Disneyland. Many buildings are empty and decrepit, but its charm persists for those who love it like I do. The place to see in Locke is Al The Wop's, the bar/restaurant that is the setting for Nick and Jessie's first meeting and that infamous dance. It was built in 1915 and features those dollar bills stuck to the ceiling. You have to give the bartender a dollar to find out how they got up there. I love sitting at the bar and having a cold bottle of Bud and talking to the local people. I was fortunate enough to have a new friend waiting for me there. (Thank you Lori). Our dinner there was delayed until Thursday as they were not serving food on our initial visit.

 We headed over to Giusti's, another Delta historic wonder, built in 1910, it features the original bar and is still a family owned business. Instead of dollar bills, the ceiling is festooned with over 1200 hats. The service is friendly, the food is great served family style. Like most places in The Delta, no credit cards or checks are accepted but there is an ATM machine.

 Wimpy's Marina on the South Fork of the Mokelumne River was always a favorite place to dock our houseboat and within two minutes of arriving there, I remembered why. It is scenic, peaceful and welcoming. The restaurant serves great food and the people there were pleased to find that I had used the bar as the party place in The Delta in my books. Visiting here again was one of the highlights of my trip.

 On my last day, I enjoyed a yummy Chinese lunch at Locke Garden, built as a beer parlor in 1912. There is real history everywhere here.

 I spent my days driving levee roads, checking out the little town of Courtland, The Grand Island Mansion, and my personal favorite island, Sutter Island, a real place that is the setting for the fictional home of Nick and Jessie Red Cloud.

 I followed levee roads that narrowed to one lane. U Turns were scary, with the water on one side, and a drop off to agricultural fields on the other. The lure of The Delta is for me, in large part, the waterways - rivers, sloughs and little inlets. I grew up on Green Bay, an inlet of Lake Michigan and although I love my home in southern California, the closest I am to water is the L.A. River, which is pretty much a concrete flood control channel, except for a little stretch a block from our home called the Glendale Narrows, which, thanks to a natural bottom, has given rise to islands of greenery and many wonderful birds. It's not enough for a person who was surrounded by water, not only Lake Michigan, but the myriad rivers and lakes that Wisconsin and Upper Michigan are famous for.




 Part of my trip was a search for a place that might become a second home for us someday, if we found ourselves fabulously wealthy, or even remotely able to afford two places. There was such a place on Sutter Island itself, on the banks of Steamboat Slough, a wonderful old two story house with a wrap around porch on the second level, frontage along the water, and a little over 13 acres of agricultural land. Ah, heaven. A little out of our price range, but we can dream. On my second night at Al's, while I was enjoying that cold Bud, and chatting with the gentleman on the barstool next to me, I happened to mention that place on Steamboat Slough. "That's my grampa's place" he said. "My dad was born in that house." It's a small world in The Delta.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

BLM HELICOPTER ROUND UP OF MUSTANGS

ONCE AGAIN, THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR "PROTECTING PUBLIC LANDS" INTENDS TO ROUND UP MUSTANGS BY HELICOPTER. WHAT'S NEXT, SHOOTING THEM? I cannot believe that anyone would consider driving heavily pregnant mares or for that matter any horses with a helicopter. What is wrong with the people at BLM? Oh, that's right, it's all about protecting our public lands to provide range for cattle. This is an outrage but certainly business as usual. What do we have to do to stop this kind of injustice?

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

ON SUTTER ISLAND FREE

FOR FANS OF THE DELTA MYSTERY SERIES, AND FOR NEW READERS WHO HAVEN'T YET DISCOVERED NICK AND JESSIE AND THE RED CLOUD FAMILY - PLEASE ENJOY A FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE KINDLE EDITION OF ON SUTTER ISLAND, THE SECOND BOOK IN THE SERIES. On Sutter Island continues the story of Nick and Jessie, the lovers from In The Delta. Jessie, now a Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy and her partner, Bodie McDonald, answer a late night call to a local bar, The Landing, and discover the victim of a vicious attack. Jessie sets out to find the man responsible, but her search puts at risk the life she has built with Nick on Sutter Island as she becomes the obsession of the man she is tracking.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

W T F, F B

For a company that pulls down Billions in revenues, making its founders rich beyond their ability to spend it all, you’d think Facebook could afford to hire a few people to answer phones or at least respond to E mails. I wouldn’t even complain if they outsourced it as long as the person who answered the phone spoke English. Facebook is, after all, allegedly a social networking site. That’s great as far as it goes. But it is carrying the concept of social networking to ridiculous heights when one clicks on Contact Us and is directed to the Community. So, let me see if I have this straight, if I have a problem, or an issue, there is no one at Facebook to provide assistance. It’s just all of us social networkers out here on our own, providing assistance to each other. One of the many problems with that concept is the amount of time it takes to navigate through a morass of unrelated information trying to find answers. This weakness in Facebook wasn’t immediately apparent. It took Timeline to bring it to the forefront. I don’t know about all of you computer geniuses out there, but I’m having issues. So are most of the people I know. Hello, Facebook Creators – you may be brilliant on some level, but you sure don’t know much about actual social networking skills. Check out the unbelievably high quality of customer service at Apple and Amazon. Now those people are social networkers. You don’t even have to call them. Just ask them to call you. They’ll solve your problems no matter how long it takes. They’ll thank you for calling. Then they’ll send a follow up E mail to be sure your problem was solved and that you are satisfied. Facebook – You get an F in Plays Well With Others.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

In The Delta on Kindle

Happy Day. In The Delta just reached #19 in the Women Sleuth's catagory for free downloads - right next to Janet Evanovich. (You have to pay for hers).

Monday, April 30, 2012

In The Delta - Free Kindle download

In The Delta, the first book in The Delta Mystery Series, will be available for free Kindle download from Thursday May 3 through Monday May 7. Here's the description: A girl named Angel and the boy she loves vanish from a dark and lonely place called Lost Slough. Their disappearance attracts little attention when it’s assumed they’ve simply moved on. But for Angel’s friend, LAPD Officer Jessie, a 4-month old Missing Persons Poster turns a houseboat vacation in the California Delta into a desperate search for the couple or their killer - a search that leads Jessie to the Chinese community of Locke and a bar called Al’s Place where she meets the Lakota, Nick Red Cloud. Their erotic attraction for each other catches fire in a heartbeat and grows in intensity as they explore the Delta together by boat and on horseback. While Nick and Jessie’s love for each other grows stronger, Angel’s story plays out in flashbacks… Until, at last, Jessie discovers the terrible truth of what really happened on the banks of Lost Slough.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Acts of Contrition Coming in May

Acts of Contrition will be published in May in both Paperback and Kindle editions.

LAPD Homicide Detective Rick Sandler and Katie O'Hara are back in this sequel to The Movie Murderer. Someone is leaving a trail of working girls strangled in motels along Sepulveda Boulevard, his signature a dark blue scarf. As RIck and John search for the killer in the Gentlemen's Clubs of the San Fernando Valley, they encounter a panoply of night people, a Russian who loves Bullwinkle the Moose, a duo of pole dancers whose act features their impersonation of The Jersey Shore's Snooki and Luscious Lily whose resemblance to Katie captivates John.

Meanwhile, with the help of her friends, the Bravo's brothers, Katie is investigating a series of suspicious suicides, tied together by a Catholic parish led by a pair of very different priests, the charismatic Father Jonas, who Katie privately believes is too attractive to be celibate, and Father Jonas, an old testament cleric who believes in an eye for an eye.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Susan and Tecate Free

Just a reminder to anyone with a Kindle or with the free Kindle reader download, the Kindle edition of Susan and Tecate will be available for free download beginning Friday April 6 through Sunday April 8. May be of special interest to riders in our very own Griffith Park.
If you are interested here's the description:

LAPD Mounted Officer Susan Chappelle's beat is Griffith Park, over 4,000 acres of land in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. When two women go missing, Susan and her horse Tecate begin their search of the trails and remote canyons of the Park. When a third woman is found strangled, their search becomes a hunt for a serial killer. Shut out of the case by the lead detective, Susan and her homeless friend Charley who calls the Park home, undertake their own investigation.
As Susan closes in on him, the killer begins a deadly game of cat and mouse with Susan.
Along the way, Susan, who takes pride in her solitude and independence, meets a sophisticated attorney, with a killer smile, who turns her world upside down. But can he be trusted?
The final confrontation between hunter and hunted takes place in a deadly place in the Park, the Rattlesnake cave.
Please visit my Author page at Amazon.com. and a big Thank You to all.

Monday, April 2, 2012

SUSAN AND TECATE - FREEE

Don't forget. From April 6 to April 8, 2012, the Kindle edition of Susan and Tecate will be available free.

The love of red haired LAPD Mounted Officer Susan Chappelle's life is her big bay horse Tecate. As she patrols the 4,000 plus acres of Griffith Park, an urban wilderness in the center of Los Angeles, Susan and her homeless friend Charlie, who calls the park his home, search for the serial killer who is strangling women runners in the park. But Susan has, in turn, become the object of the killer's obsession. Along the way, Susan meets a semi retired trial attorney and her emotional barriers begin to break down. But can he be trusted?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

FREE Susan and Tecate

FREE download of the Kindle edition of Susan and Tecate, the prequel to The Delta Mysteries from Friday April 6 to Sunday April 8, 2010.

Following is the blurb:


LAPD Mounted Officer Susan Chappelle's beat is Griffith Park, over 4,000 acres of land in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. When two women go missing, Susan and her horse Tecate begin their search of the trails and remote canyons of the Park. When a third woman is found strangled, their search becomes a hunt for a serial killer. Shut out of the case by the lead detective, Susan and her homeless friend Charley who calls the Park home, undertake their own investigation.

Along the way, Susan, who takes pride in her solitude and independence, meets a sophisticated attorney, with a killer smile, who turns her world upside down. But can he be trusted?

As Susan closes in on the murderer, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins.

Hunter and hunted face off in a deadly confrontation at the entrance to one of the park's most dangerous places, The Rattlesnake Cave.

Update on The Movie Murderer

To date, there have been 1,997 dowloads of The Movie Murderer including over 500 in the U.K. and 8 in Germany. Thank you to all of my readers for making me international.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

The Movie Murderer over 1,000

Thank you to all my readers for over 1,000 downloads of The Movie Murderer this weekend. Special thanks to my readers in the U.K. who make up a significant percentage of that number.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

FREE The Movie Murderer

Just a reminder to Kindle readers, that the Kindle edition of The Movie Murderer will be available FREE beginning tomorrow March 1 to March 5.

Thank you.

Monday, February 20, 2012

THE MOVIE MURDERER FOR FREE

The Movie Murderer will be available to Kindle readers free from March 1, 2012 to March 5, 2012. Here's the blurb:


Sam Spencer looks as though he just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren Polo ad. But he hasn’t come to Los Angeles to make it as a model. Sam has a special way with a knife and a fondness for film noir. Each of his victims will become the star of a tableau that is an homage to a film with a memorable backdrop.

LAPD Homicide Detective Rick Sandler does his sleuthing on a laptop but he’s a bit of an old West lawman with a badge, a gun and a horse. Think a young William Petersen in To Live and Die in L.A. If there’s anything Rick likes better than his work, it’s movies.

In the Noir world, one of the essential elements is this - Cherchez la Femme – look for the woman. After all, in Noir, the source of any given problem involving a man is likely to be a woman. She’s not necessarily the cause of the problem, you understand. Sometimes it’s just her mere presence that stirs things up. Enter Katie O’Hara, a sexy, sassy non-skinny girl in skinny jeans who quickly becomes the focus of two very different men.

Over at Recluse Pictures, they’re shooting a film about a serial killer who favors the knife. When their work comes to the attention of a real life murderer, the first feature by an independent film company is suddenly linked with some classic L.A. Film Noirs, bringing together the detective, the girl and the killer.

It’s a dangerous game of escalating passion and violence, a game with no winner.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

I am now a Goodreads author

I have joined Goodreads, another forum for reaching out to new readers. I always look forward to communications from people interested in books, horses and movies, among other things. You don't have to be a reader to be a friend.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

My Good New Year's News

Over 2,000 people downloaded 17 Days over a 2 day period in December.

I also just got the good news that I have had some nice sales in the U.K. and a couple in Germany and France. I'm International!