Nancy Drew Parodies

I found this fake cover for a Nancy Drew book funny.

I write Nancy Drew parodies and The Buried Treasure on Route 66 is the first Nancy Keene Mystery (out of five) that I've written. I hope you'll take a look:

Written as an homage to the Nancy Drew books, this humorous and PG-rated mystery about teenage sleuth, Nancy Keene, especially targets women baby boomers who grew up reading and loving the series. Gently poking fun at Nancy’s obscure knowledge, perfectionism, and need for control, this book concentrates and the relationship between Nancy and her father. Nancy has just turned 18, is in a serious relationship with her boyfriend, and is planning to move out of state to college. How will her father handle letting her go? Find out as Nancy, her father, and her boyfriend take a trip on Route 66, visiting several of its landmarks along the way, in search of a missing will. Not only is “The Buried Treasure on Route 66” a tip of the hat to the Nancy Drew books, it’s also a romance novel about both young love and rekindled old love.

Here's what reviewers are saying about this book:

"Besides being a sort of travelogue, the mystery is good, the solving of it fun, and the ending hilarious!"

"I could not get enough of this amazing story. I grew up reading every Nancy Drew book I could get my hands on. The author does not disappoint in paying homage as Nancy made me fall in love with teenage mysteries all over again. I loved the characters overprotective dad, friends Beth and Hannah, the cuteness of Nancy and Ned, Mrs Wood and mobster stepsons. I found myself wrapped up in the detailed storyline as Mrs Wood shares her story of lost love and who the stepsons are. I have always dreamed of driving down Route 66 and Hathaway made me feel I was there. Truly a nice escape for women baby boomers everywhere."

"I'd recommend this Nancy Keene series to anyone who read, reads, and loves Nancy Drew!"

Here are the links for The Buried Treasure on Route 66:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NlEuoi

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/2BJV5wn

Apple: https://apple.co/2MMlXSN

Smashwords: https://bit.ly/2PlxsCl

Kobo Books: https://bit.ly/2BHwOHv

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2BONAnO

Deadly Promises: A New Orleans Mystery

I am familiar with this photographer and his wife through Facebook. She is absolutely fearless when it comes to being photographed next to wild animals.  I decided to make them characters in our mystery Deadly Promises: A New Orleans Mystery.

In this intriguing New Orleans mystery, two murder investigations take center stage in the Crescent City. First, a young woman is gunned down during a wedding at St. Louis Cathedral; then 13 bodies are found in a shipping container on the docks. Could these two seemingly unrelated cases be connected? Discover the seamy underworld of human trafficking as two homicide detectives search for answers.

Here are the buy links if you're interested in reading.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2N7z53S
Apple: https://apple.co/2MKifcz
Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/33WN03A
Google Play Books: https://bit.ly/2qFyoHr
Smashwords: https://bit.ly/32FfxKN
Kobo Books: https://bit.ly/2NcSuAi

Nancy Drew Meets James Bond

A few years ago, I had the incredible honor of having my Nancy Keene Mysteries featured in a 6-page spread in "The Sleuth" magazine, a publication devoted to fans of Nancy Drew.

I hope people will enjoy my humorous PG-rated cozy mysteries that take place in some of my favorite cities in the world. They are meant to be read by baby boomers who grew up loving the series, not preteens.

Out of the 5 that I've written, I think my favorite one is The Stolen Mask because it takes place in London and she gets to see a lot of the literary and historical sites in England where I've been. And best of all--she and Daniel Craig are staying at the same hotel! In fact, he's next door to her hotel room. When someone steals his BAFTA award, she helps him find out whodunit. At the end of the story, she gets to walk the red carpet with him at the Academy Awards. Sounds far-fetched, you may ask. A girl can dream, can't she?

It's available at all your favorite online stores. 

Here's a link to purchase:

Click Here to Purchase

150th Anniversary of the Completion of the Transcontinental Railway

Golden Spike Ceremony at Promontory Point, Utah 

My husband and I were two of 20,000 people on Friday who celebrated at Promontory Summit, Utah the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, marking the achievement of the railroads and railroad workers who risked everything to make the Transcontinental Railroad a reality.

The parking tickets sold out quickly and we bought ours online immediately when we heard that we couldn't join in on the festivities unless we showed the permit on our dashboards.  Traffic signs warned of delays because of this "Major Event", as the city officials called it.  The traffic was heavy, but once we pulled in to the dusty "parking lot", which was, in reality, a dusty field, I felt a lump in my throat when we saw the train from the west and the one from the east facing each other, with men recreating the famous picture of a two men celebrating with champagne and toasting each other. 

My husband and I brought along folding chairs to listen to the speeches by the dignitaries, including the governor of Utah, the Heads of the US Departments of Transportation and Interior, Mitt Romney, an actor from the series, Hell on Wheels, the ambassador of Ireland, and descendants of those who worked on the railroad. My favorite part of the day was listening to the keynote speaker, Jon Meacham, a historian, and author.  His eloquence brought tears to my eyes: “We should not sentimentalize the American experience,” Meacham said. “The nation has been morally flawed, often egregiously so, from the beginning. We must be honest about that.”

He went on to say, “If the men and women of the past, with all of their flaws and limitations and ambitions and appetites, could press on through ignorance and superstition and racism and sexism, through selfishness and greed, to form a more perfect union, then perhaps we too can right wrongs and leave things better than we found them.” 

Elaine L. Chao was my second favorite speaker of the day.  She reminded us that within three years of its completion, trains could travel from New York City to San Francisco in just one week.  Prior to that, travelers endured up to 6 months or more of dangerous travel by ship or covered wagon to cross the continent.

The transcontinental railroad was built by Civil war veterans from both the North and the South who worked together, along with Mormon settlers, African-Americans, Native Americans, and, Chinese laborers. Building from the West, the Central Pacific Railroad hired 15,000 workers, of whom 12,000 or more were Chinese immigrants. These are the men whose jobs were to blast through the granite of the imposing Sierra Nevada mountains. It was dangerous work using explosives and many lost their lives.

The governor, wearing a top hat, joined a few other men to recreate the pounding of the "golden" spike, which was actually a copper spike, made especially for the anniversary.  After the speeches and recreations were over, fireworks lit up the afternoon sky and a flyover of four planes in formation, saluted this grand achievement--the most important engineering feat of the 19th century and the symbol of the east and west joining together making the United States one connected nation, filled with many ethnicities who worked with each other to get the job done.  

St. Patrick's Day in Savannah, Georgia

Our cozy mystery, Honeymoon in Savannah: A Detective Santy Mystery, takes place in Savannah, Georgia during the St. Patrick’s Day "Season", as the locals call it.  Before we left for our trip to the beautiful city, my husband and I read that in Savannah, St. Patrick’s festivities go on for days.  It’s almost as big as Boston’s celebration of it. So, here's an excerpt from our book that takes place on St. Patrick's Day when the honeymooners go to see a performance of The Lady Chablis, famous for her role in the bestseller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. 

After Detective Santy and her husband Ron got out of bed and dressed, they headed into town to see a performance of the African American comedienne/drag queen, Lady Chablis. It took about twenty minutes to get to downtown and they encountered hordes of St. Patrick’s revelers. They found a parking place about six blocks south of the club and stepped into the craziness. The crowds were even worse than they were the day before.  Drunks were everywhere, and young women screamed as if they were at a frat party. It was semi-controlled chaos. People threw beads down on the crowds from balconies. Many drank beer openly as they walked down the streets.  Firemen and other uniformed people tried to keep things safe.  Police cars zoomed from place to place.  Ron said, “This must be what Mardi Gras is like.”  They jockeyed their way through the hordes of people and arrived at Club One just in time for the 9:00 show.

They told the doorman that they had reserved tickets, and after he checked their names off his list, they walked inside.  The first thing they saw was a crowded dance floor flooded with dry ice smoke and loud Euro-beat music played.

Her husband Ron told her, “Yikes! We’ve reached gay-bar-hell,” as he saw three scantily-clad men dancing on risers. “Is this what we’re in for?” he asked the detective. “I don’t know if I can make it for two hours of this.”

“Oh Ron, open up your mind! What are you afraid of? Think one of them is going to hit on you?”

He smirked back at her, and she grabbed his arm and guided him to another door and stairs that led up to the cabaret level.

When they arrived upstairs, Ron said, “Phew! Bless you, my dear! Good thing someone knows what they’re doing and where they’re going!”

She told him, “I read all about the club before we got here.  I can’t believe the crowds.  I’m glad that it isn’t as crazy up here as it is downstairs!”

The cabaret room was a relatively small space: about 100 feet by 60 feet. The stage was tee-shaped with chairs and tables filling in each side of the tee. The room couldn’t hold much more than maybe a hundred people, tops. The first two rows of seats had small shared tables for the “high rollers” like them who had made reservations. Two reserved seats had their names on sheets of paper taped to the backs of the chairs. Their table was down in front just about dead center.

When Ron saw how close they were to the stage, he said, “Uh-oh.  I hope she doesn’t pick us out of the crowd to make fun of.”

Clarissa told him, “This should be interesting.  You’re sitting right next to the stripper pole.”

He answered back, “Oh, just great!  I’m definitely toast!”

A spotlight in the rear illuminated the entire width and depth of the stage. Ron went to the small bar and ordered two glasses of wine for them.  When he was returning, the lights dimmed. Here we go, he told himself.

The first act was The Lady and three others in the revue. The curtain parted, and they began lip-synching I Will Survive in all their drag glory.

Clarissa said, “There she is, The Lady. Oh my god. There’s the friggin’ Lady Chablis.”

Each singer took turns lip-synching and moving around the audience. People were up at the stage almost immediately offering one-dollar-bill tips.

Ron told himself, we don’t have to do that, but then felt a bit guilty because the emcee had announced before the show that the ladies were playing for tips.  After a few of the singers received tips from everyone else, the detective and Ron sheepishly got out all their spare bills. Luckily, they had quite a few ones on them. Soon, they were playing right along with everyone else. The show continued with several solo performances, including The Lady herself. About halfway through, Chablis came out and did her “standup.” She took her microphone and said to the crowd, “Hey, bitch!”

“Hey, bitch!” the crowd yelled back at her.  She moved amongst the audience looking for victims. Fortunately, they were spared. There was too many other low hanging fruit in the crowd for her to lampoon.

A gay couple from Australia kept her busy for most of the night. A woman asked The Lady to retrieve tips from her bra. Chablis objected and told the woman, “What do ya think you’re doing, girl?!  I ain’t no lesbian!”

Several fawning young men adorned her with some big tips. Towards the end of the show, a good-looking black man who was about thirty asked his friends to get a picture of him tipping The Lady while she sang. He stood at the edge of the stage in front of Clarissa and Ron and waved the cash teasingly at The Lady. He appeared to be wishing to prolong the moment. The Lady one-upped him and leaped into his arms. For a short while, they embraced before he deposited her back on the stage on her butt. Her pearl necklace flew off across the stage. They both seemed taken by the moment. The young man almost rose to the stage for a final dance but pulled back at the last moment.

Singing Elton John’s “Your Song,” the Lady signed off for the night, but not before she walked over to Ron and planted a big red kiss on his cheek during her tip collection.

They thought it was hilarious.

The performance was only an hour and they were left with a feeling that they wanted more.  They were ready for two hours and this was a surprise. “Oh well,” Clarissa said.  “We did get to see one more person besides Martha from the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil cast and I’m happy for that.”

They wandered out into the Savannah night and found that the revelers were still at it. There was the same amount of craziness, only everyone was drunker than before. Back at the hotel, they got a bottle of wine from the Marriott market and retired to their room to indulge themselves in two hours of post-show talk and drink.  Ron said to her, “I really think The Lady is a good judge of who’s who in the audience. She knows who she can mess with and who she should stay away from. Pretty cool.”

His wife agreed and asked, “Are you ever going to wash her lips off your face?”

He laughed at himself.  “Listen to us, being Lady Chablis-groupies.”

“Yeah!  We are a bit star-struck.  Too funny.  What a great way to end a great day!” she told him, snuggled next to him in the spoon position, and drifted off to sleep.

###

Would you like to read more about Savannah and the murder of a famous Savannah chef, who just happens to be Detective Santy's cousin?

Our book is Available at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble,

Google Play, Kobo, Smashwords and Scribd

Here's the link to purchase:

http://books2read.com/Georgia

Author Spotlight- K. M. Hodge

KM Hodge Series Launch: The Syndicate-born Trilogy + Prequel 

Book#1: Red on the Run books2read.com/u/bQxB0e (ON SALE $0.99 March 27-30)

Book#2: Black and White Truth: books2read.com/u/4NZRM9

Book #3: True Blue Son: books2read.com/u/mey2w9

Book #4 PREQUEL The Sally Ride Chronicle: books2read.com/u/4AJKg0 ON SALE $0.99 

Copy: The Syndicate doesn’t believe in divorce, but murder is another story.  Sally wants out-out of her marriage, out of the mob, out of Ocean City. An impossible dream. That is until the MDNA, a secret hacktivist group, invites her to join the ranks of their rebellion. The goal? Take down the criminal empire.

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author, K.M. Hodge grew up in Detroit, where she spent most of her free time weaving wild tales to spook her friends and family. These days, she lives in Texas with her husband and two energetic boys and once again enjoys writing tales of suspense and intrigue that keep her readers up all night. Her stories, which focus on women's issues, friendship, addiction, regrets, and second chances, will stay with you long after you finish them. When she isn't writing or being an agent of social change, she reads Independent graphic novels, watches old X-files episodes, streams Detroit Tigers games and binges on Netflix with her husband. She enjoys hearing from her readers, so don't be shy about dropping her a line. 

* K.M. Hodge was awarded the winter of 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for her Red on the Run. 

You can sign up for new release emails and get a FREE GIFT: www.kmhodge.com/subscribe  

USA Today Bestselling Author

Website

Facebook Author Page

Twitter 

Instagram

Thriller Books

Mystery Books 

Claim Your Free Gift Today

Half-Off Sales for New Orleans Mystery Series

Mardi Gras is almost here!  

Can't go to New Orleans to experience all the fun?

What not be an armchair traveler

and visit the Big Easy in these three gripping mysteries 

that star female homicide detective Yvonne Dauphin

and take place in the Crescent City

Our latest mystery series is on sale at Smashwords.com for 50% off through March 11, 2019.  All three mysteries take place in New Orleans and star female homicide detective Yvonne Dauphin.

Here's a description of the three books in the series:

This series stars female homicide detective Yvonne Dauphin and takes place in New Orleans. Although the stories in the series occur in numerical order, each can be read as a stand-alone. Fighting Demons opens with my main character checking herself out of a psychiatric hospital determined to show her boss that she is up to the task of capturing a serial killer. Deadly Promises is about human trafficking. Several young women are found dead in a shipping container from Poland. Yvonne and her team must figure out how they came to meet such fate. Fifty Shades of Dead is the most recent release. In this story, a young woman goes out to dinner with a man she's just met at the theater where they've watched 50 Shades of Grey. He bears a striking to the actor who portrayed Christian Grey and also had a "red room". She decides to take a walk on the wild side with deadly results.

Be sure to enter code EBW50 upon checkout to get them for half-off.

Click Here to Purchase Fighting Demons: A New Orleans Mystery

Click Here to Purchase Deadly Promises: A New Orleans Mystery

Click Here to Purchase 50 Shades of Dead

These murder mysteries are also available at Amazon,

Apple, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Scribd, and Kobo

for the regular price of $2.99

T. Jefferson Parker

The Tustin Chronicles:

A Detective Santy Mystery

by Louise Hathaway

My husband and I graduated in the same class as T. Jefferson Parker, a famous writer from Orange County, California who wrote mysteries that took place in our home town; so it's always been in the back of our minds to try to write our own mysteries, filled with lots of local color and tidbits of real crimes that actually occurred here.  My brother and his adopted daughter had a very close relationship and when he died, I thought I'd write a story about what would happen if he were murdered, and when his daughter looked into the case, she found out that the wrong person was convicted of the crime. In the process of her investigation, she finds out who her real parents are and discovers that there are some questions that are best left unanswered.  This is the first book in the successful Detective Santy Mysteries Series.  It has received five-star and several four-star reviews.  Only 99 cents.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, 

Google Play, Smashwords, Kobo and Scribd

Purchase Link

Book Trailer for Deadly Promises: A New Orleans Mystery

Mardi Gras is almost here.  Why not be an armchair traveler and 

take a trip to the Crescent City in this riveting murder mystery?

Deadly Promises: A New Orleans Mystery

Book Trailer: https://bit.ly/2tv5qs9

In this intriguing New Orleans mystery, two murder investigations take center stage in the Crescent City. First, a young woman is gunned down during a wedding at St. Louis Cathedral; then 13 bodies are found in a shipping container on the docks. Could these two seemingly unrelated cases be connected? Discover the seamy underworld of human trafficking as two homicide detectives search for answers.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2yAc9UH

Apple: https://apple.co/2Cu7HJL

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/2rL5LZB

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2GrAka7

Smashwords: https://bit.ly/2DLGog1

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2DHV8Iw

Fashion Models In Danger in Deadly Promises: A New Orleans Mystery

What is the connection between a photographer who takes pictures of models who pose next to exotic animals and a human trafficker responsible for the deaths of 14 young women found dead in a shipping container on the docks in New Orleans?

Find out in Deadly Promises: a New Orleans Mystery 

Here's an excerpt:

It was time for Danielle to pose with the wolf.  She would’ve felt a lot safer if Candy hadn’t made Brent suspicious earlier when he overheard her talking about the bear and the model.

Candy was just finishing up her last shot with the tiger.  She was wearing a pink and white polka dot bikini and sporting a pair of shiny gold hooker shoes that had four-inch heels. Danielle saw Brent put an Indian headdress on Candy’s head. 

He told her, “Now, put your hand on the tiger’s back.”

Candy did her best to hide her fear, but it looked like she was having a massive panic attack.

“Just relax,” Brent said.  “Yes, that’s right,” he told her and took a final shot.  “Beautiful, Candy.”

She let out a big sigh of relief and walked away from the tiger as quickly as she could.  She noticed Danielle and ran into her arms crying, “Oh, my God!” She hugged her as if she was her long-lost friend.  “Never again!” she whispered into her ear.

Danielle could feel Candy’s body vibrating and did her best to soothe her.  She whispered back, “We’ll talk later.”

The trainer appeared and at Bridger’s urging, led the tiger back to the air-conditioned semi. He left humming a song, with a trail of marijuana smoke behind him. 

“You’re up next,” Brent barked to Danielle.  “How do you feel?”

“Nervous, to tell the truth.”

“No need to be.  I’ve never had any accidents with wolves.”

She wanted to ask him which animals he had accidents with but kept quiet.  She did not want to piss him off; especially since he and the trainer would be putting her life on the line when they paired her with the wolf.

Bridger tried to loosen her up by asking, “Have you ever had a dog, Danielle?”

“Yes.  A German Shepard.”

“Was he a nice dog?”

“Yes.  We used to sleep in bed together.  He’d lie on his back with his front paws bent like this,” she told him, bending her arms and imitating her dog.

“That’s really cute.”  He looked at the cabin and said, “I think I want you to pose on that fur rug next to the cabin.”

“Oh, okay,” she said and waited for him to set up his photography equipment in this new setting.

When he was ready, he told her, “Go ahead and lie down on the rug. Can you turn on your right side?”

Danielle lay down and tried to look as sexy and provocative as possible but felt ridiculous.

“Okay.  Good.  Are you ready to meet the wolf?”

“Yeah.  Let’s do it,” she answered, trying to sound upbeat.

The trainer she saw earlier with the lion now walked a wolf over towards her.  She sat up, wanting to keep an eye on the wild animal.  Lying down had made her feel too vulnerable.  Smiling, the trainer, grunted a “Hi” to her and uttered, “Meet Rex.”

“Hi Rex,” she managed to answer. 

“Are you okay, Danielle?” Bridger asked.

“I think I need some water.”

Looking slightly miffed, he motioned for someone to retrieve a glass and a woman soon emerged from the kitchen with one.

Danielle took a few sips, hoping to delay the inevitable.

“Are you ready now, Danielle?” Bridger asked her.

She took a couple more sips and the woman took the glass away so it wouldn’t show in the photo.  He told her, “Now, the trainer is going to take the wolf off the leash, but he’ll be standing nearby.  No need to be afraid.”

“Uh, okay.”

“Just imagine Rex is that nice German Shepherd you used to sleep with.”

“Okay,” she nervously answered.

“So, tell me, why were you asking all those questions?” Bridger asked while adjusting his lenses.

Danielle felt trapped—stuck between this wild animal and his question. She nervously answered, “Ah, I’m just curious.  That’s all. This is so new to me.”

“Don’t you trust us here?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“You know, these animals answer to the trainer and to me. We can make them docile or make them, well, angry and growling for the picture. They’re very responsive.”

Now she felt really nervous and threatened. What if she said something wrong? What if he made the wolf attack her?”

“Now, I want you to lie back down on your right side and put your head next to his.”  The trainer directed the wolf to lie next to her. She could hear the wolf’s heavy breathing.

Oh, my God.  What am I doing?

“We’re almost there, Danielle.”

Almost there?  What else does he have in store for me?

“Okay, Danielle.  Lookin’ good!” he said and took several shots. “Cradle his head in your arm.”

Holy Crap!

“That’s right.  You got it.  Purse your lips.  You have beautiful lips.”

Just take the friggin picture, already.

“Rough up your hair a little so you look sexy wild.”

When will this nightmare finally be over?

“How are you doing?”

“I’m ready to stop!”

Buy Links:

Purchase at Amazon

Purchase at Apple

Purchase at Barnes and Noble
Purchase at Google Play
Purchase at Smashwords
Purchase at Kobo

Ghosts at Oak Alley Plantation

Some say that no antebellum plantation house is without at least one ghost.  All sorts of strange sightings have been reported by the docents who work at Oak Alley Plantation. They have reported hearing the clip-clopping of a horse-drawn carriage driving on the plantation’s gravel roads leading up to the house and when they looked out the upstairs window, they saw neither hide nor hair of any carriage.  They've seen chairs rock in unison and candlesticks fly across the room.

One tour guide said, "There’s a lot of voodoo in these here parts. Go to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and visit the grave of Marie Laveau.  She had special powers and still does today. There are many things in this world that can’t be explained by logic.”

"The Ghost in the Plantation: A Nancy Keene Mystery" is a cozy mystery about a teenage sleuth, modeled after Nancy Drew, who goes to New Orleans on vacation and becomes part of the investigation when a docent at Oak Alley Plantation is found dead inside the antebellum mansion. Be an armchair traveler and take a trip to Louisiana to explore favorite tourist spots in New Orleans with Nancy and her "chums".

The eBook is available for $2.99 at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play and Smashwords.  The paperback is available at Amazon.

Here are the purchase links to each bookstore:

Buy at Amazon

Buy at Apple

Buy at Barnes and Noble

Buy at Google Play

Buy at Smashwords

Buy at Kobo Books