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An experience to remember at Stirling Falls

I really thought I was done with photos from Milford Sound, but then I came across this and remembered the experience. Standing on the bow of the boat, I had one of the prime spots for getting the best shot of Stirling Falls. While most were inside to avoid the spray, I wanted to savor every second of this moment. I’ve heard there are some cruises that will take you under the falls, but we didn’t quite go that far. Close enough, though! It was a great experience.

More photos from Milford Sound

Marc Jedel author of the Silicon Valley Mystery series. Hit and Mist is the fourth book in the series.

From the headlines to Hit and Mist

“The idea for Hit And Mist was sparked by a newspaper article that I read. To explain it would give away the story’s ending but I’ve included a link to the article at the end of my novel for readers who are interested. Most of my stories start with some spark of real-world experience or something I’ve read and then I figure out how to throw my characters into the middle and how to make life harder for my protagonist along the way. Although the books can be read standalone, they share many of the same characters.”

More than just humor

In what he called a rare moment of introspection, Marc decided that the Silicon Valley Mystery series should be about more than just humor wrapped in a mystery. “A literary scholar, if one were ever foolish enough to select my novels for their dissertation, might say they’re about a search for family life, friends and happiness. However, Marty, my protagonist, typically doesn’t realize this is what he wants out of life, so he tries hard to return to the quiet, simple and peaceful life that he had before his sister and his nieces moved to town.”

Marc said, “I’ve wanted to write a book forever. For the longest time, it seemed I couldn’t come up with a good plot. Yet, my writing research clearly demonstrated that having a plot is critical for a successful book. One day, I received this awesome birthday drawing from my nieces. And my kids, or nieces, or one of my friends’ kids had done some crazy things. Probably all of the above.”

Once the ideas started, Marc was able to develop a mystery about a self-absorbed, fashion-backward software engineer, his sister, and his nieces. “The ideas kept flowing,” Marc said. “I had characters, plot points, and concepts for more books. I’ve finished four so far and have ideas for two more and a separate series.”

From introvert to outgoing

Marc has also found himself paying far more attention to people in lines at restaurants and other public places. “While I’ve always been an introvert, I’m now very willing to approach people I’ve never met to ask them about their unusual clothes or to ask a question about something I overheard. Who’d have thought that becoming an author would make me more outgoing and odd at the same time?”

Drawing from experience

“A surprising number of the anecdotes and parts of the text exchanges in my books are based on real life. For example, most of Buddy’s escapades across the series are based on a few friends’ dogs. My own dog is too small and neurotic to be helpful as an inspiration for Buddy.”

Marc said that for an action scene in Uncle and Ants, he needed an entertaining way for his protagonist to escape trouble. The problem was that, despite Marty’s almost overwhelming desire to be an action hero, he’s not.

“After a lot of research, I stumbled across a homemade smoke bomb made from common household materials. But then, I wasn’t sure if this would really work the way I wanted so it was time to experiment. Fortunately I was smart enough to test this outside on my driveway because the thick, acrid smoke drove me and the neighbors hustling inside to avoid the stench. You’ll have to read Uncle And Ants (book 1) to find out why and how it was set off and what happened next.”

Learn more about Marc Jedel at marcjedel.com.

The House That Vanity Built (A Misty Dawn Mystery) by Nancy Cole Silverman

About The House That Vanity Built

Book 2 of the Misty Dawn Trilogy

Paranormal Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Henery Press (May 12, 2020)
Hardcover: 242 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1635115987
Digital ASIN: B084BN2B37

Misty Dawn, a former Hollywood psychic to the stars, knows the dark and sometimes glamorous streets of Los Angeles are full of secrets, broken promises, and dashed hopes.

When a young woman comes to her door because she’s lost her engagement ring and is afraid to tell her fiancé (the son of one of the world’s biggest cosmetics empires), Misty senses it’s no accident.

Together Misty Dawn and her psychic charge, Wilson Thorne, must not only sneak behind the walls of the Conroy Estate (aka The House That Vanity Built), but go beyond the veil where the luminaries have laid plans to seek revenge.

Murder, lust, and a quest for a fountain of youth are hidden inside a family’s secret, one that threatens to upend the young woman’s life, and quite possibly, Misty’s as well.

About Nancy Cole Silverman

Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five in Los Angeles Talk Radio, beginning her career on the talent side as one for the first female voices on the air, and later on the business side, where she retired as one of two female general managers in the nation’s second-largest radio market. After a successful career in the radio industry, Silverman turned to writing fiction. Her crime-focused novels and short stories have attracted readers throughout America. Her Carol Childs Mysteries series (Henery Press) feature a single-mom whose “day job” as a reporter at a busy Los Angeles radio station often leads to long nights as a crime-solver. Her most recent series with Misty Dawn is centered on an aging Hollywood Psychic to the Stars, who supplements her day to day activities as a consultant to LAPD and the FBI. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle.

Author Links –
Facebook – GoodReads – Twitter: @NancyColeSilve1

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo

May 11 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

May 11 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

May 12 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

May 12 – Carla Loves to Read – REVIEW

May 13 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

May 13 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

May 14 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT

May 14 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

May 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

May 15 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 16 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

May 18 – eBook addicts – REVIEW

May 18 – Gimme The Scoop Reviews -SPOTLIGHT

May 19 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

May 19 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 20 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

May 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

May 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

May 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

Secrets of the Treasure King – Book 4 in the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series.

The Seaside Cove rumor mill is buzzing about the captain of The Treasure King. He claims to know the location of the San Manuel, a four-hundred-year-old sunken Spanish galleon with a cargo worth millions. And now, he’s dead, the victim of a speargun attack.

Can Rick and Alex unravel this mystery before a killer escapes with a secret worth millions?

Buy on Amazon

Early reviews

“There is so much in this story to love and one moment where I wanted to smack the author!” — Lori Caswell, Escape with Dollycas

“it’s easy to see how Terry Ambrose for his reputation as a crack storyteller…” — Andrea, Goodreads Reader