Release Day! Plus!

Hey all!

It's the O-fficial release day for the Kindle edition of Accidental Death!  (Yes, just the Kindle edition.  I selected the Kindle Select program without thinking and now it's too late to back out.  Sorry about that.  I really did mean to let this one go across formats.  :kicks self so you don't have to:  The print book isn't ready yet.  Soon.)

The 'Plus!' is that it's also my 45th birthday today.  :Insert virtual balloons and streamers:

I scheduled my release today on purpose.  Releasing this book is like my birthday present to myself.  Yay!  So, go eat some cake, buy a neat book about a series of accidental deaths in a small town that probably aren't so accidental, and celebrate my day with me. 

Pretty cool, huh?

Murder doesn’t happen here.
Serenity is the safest, little town in Colorado. But residents are dropping like flies. No big deal. Accidents happen.
Or do they?
Detective Dennis Haggarty came to town to comfort his recently widowed sister, not investigate a homicide. However, finding a corpse means he can’t avoid doing his job—especially since the local authorities are determined to disregard the facts. Delving deeper, he finds a string of deaths everyone wants to ignore even when all the evidence points to murder. Lucky for the detective, only one person in town has means, motive, and opportunity.
Too bad he’s falling in love with her.

Books, Books, Books... I'm Addicted

Hi.  My name is B.E. and I'm addicted to buying books.  I've been to my dealer twice in the past week.  She knows what I like and she has the goods, baby.

I thought I had the habit kicked.  Lord knows, I have enough books already... heh, as if... and if I started reading what I already have and read them straight through at my usual rate of 100 a year, it would take me probably 3-6 years to read them all.  (With time off for good behavior.)

True, I haven't read many books in the past month.  This always occurs when I'm getting ready to launch a book.  But now that Accidental Death is out there, I have time.  Time to read.  Ahhh.  (Unfortunately, that phrase brings to mind that episode of The Twilight Zone where Burgess Meredith is the only man left on Earth and has all the time in the world to read, but then he breaks his glasses. :shudder:)

Anyway, there's this little bookstore near here.  Used books.  A favorite fix for my addiction.  Old used books.  :sniff sniff snort inhale passoutfromecstasy:  I picked up three Mickey Spillanes, a copy of The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett, two Ray Bradburys, and an author I've never heard of but whose post-apocalyptic premise sounds awesome.  They're on the shelves with the haul I got last week from my dealer - the first three Dragonlance books, a couple SF by Sarah A. Hoyt, and... and...

You know, the first sign of an addict is an inability to remember the details of their last hit. 

Another sign is when you're on your way somewhere else, but you see your dealer and then the other errands get forgotten.  Like stopping by the library where I had planned on donating a copy of Dying Embers.  The library will still be there next time I'm in town.  Too bad I have to pass the book shop on the way there.  Every freakin' time.

Of course, I don't actually need to go anywhere to get my jones on.  Amazon one-click gives me the rush I crave - just not as sweet as holding a used book in my hand.  I picked up a couple books there last week, too.  Night Shift by Silver James, and Hit and Run by Allison Brennan and Laura Griffin.  I was treating myself.  Too bad, that's where the bender originated.

And this morning, I get a notification that a book I had my dealer keeping an eye out for arrived in the store yesterday after I left.  Crap.  It'll take tremendous willpower not to drive down there today - even though it's a book I've already read and have in Kindle format.  It's just one of my favorite books, in the original cover.  I just want it to have on my shelf, so I can pet it when I want to.

Yeah...

Hi.  I'm B.E. and I'm a book buying addict.

The first step, or so I've heard, is admitting you have a problem. 

Updates

I'll try to make this quick.

1)  Dying Embers is in the Kindle Unlimited program for one more day.  If you belong to Kindle Unlimited and want this for free, get it today.  If you're not, or you miss today, it's available for 99 cents at least through the month of May. 

2)  I will be looking into making this book available at other outlets besides Kindle.  Give me time.

3)  I have the final proofreading edits for Accidental Death and will be working on them today.  With all luck, I should have this available for pre-order today or tomorrow.  Which means the ecopy will definitely be available on Monday, May 18th.

4)  With any luck, the print copy of Accidental Death will be available by the end of the month.

5)  For those newsletter subscribers who will receive a PDF advanced copy (one of the perks of being a newsletter subscriber is getting these kinds of opportunities, btw), I'll have those out by the end of the week.

6)  Hubs and I went fishing yesterday - which was awesome and just the brain break I needed.  However, sitting on the rocks and cement has left me a little achy in the back and hips, so I'm moving slow and I'm a little cranky.  I keep forgetting this body will be 45 on Monday, so I do things like I was still 25, and then it spends the next few days reminding me I'm not a kid anymore.  To which I reply... =op

Other news and updates as they come. 

Statute of Limitations? WTF?

As you all know, I watch a lot of true crime.  I was stunned a while back during an episode of Cold Justice when the ladies were hampered because they needed to be able to prove 1st degree murder in the case or it wouldn't go anywhere.  Why?  Well, in New Mexico, the statute of limitations for 2nd degree murder is 6 years. 

:jawdrop:

Six years. 

So, if you kill someone in the state of New Mexico, if you can keep the body from being found, or keep the authorities from coming after you for the crime for more than six years, OR you can plan a murder but make it look like it was a random act and then hide it, you're home free.  Congratulations.  You killed another human being - but because you didn't plan it and you hide the crime well - you get a free pass. 

Friday, Cold Justice did an update show.  The officers and detectives in that particular cold case are working hard to get the statute changed.  The House in New Mexico voted to change the statute.  The Senate didn't.  WTF?  In what world does this even make any sense?  Lobbyists for the defense attorneys?  Cutting costs in the judicial system by trying fewer cases?  :shrug:

So, I went online and searched for how other states handle this.  I mean, surely, it's just New Mexico, right?  Sadly, no.  Oh, all of the states have no statute of limitations on 1st degree murder.  Many others include 2nd degree murder in that.  But not all. And I'm like 'someone lost their life, but after a few years, it's okay?'  Seriously, WTF? And don't get me started on the SOL* for rape and child abuse.

Flash forward to last night.  A woman in L.A. was murdered back in 1985.  Her killer was a female officer with the LAPD.  Somehow :scoff: the case wasn't investigated properly until 25 years later.  They used DNA to nail the chick, but... BUT... when the family tried to sue the LAPD for not doing their jobs, they were told the SOL had expired in 2000.  YEARS before the officer was even tried for the crime.

Now, in some cases, there's a loophole there.  The SOL can run out, but you get a grace period for actually finding out a crime has been committed.  For instance, in Michigan, the SOL for medical malpractice is 5 years (or it was), but you get 6 months from the date of discovering the doctor screwed up if you don't find out until after the initial 5 years has passed.  It's not something they make widely known, but it's there. (Again, or it was.)  Apparently, there was no such loophole in CA, so the family of that poor woman got screwed by the LAPD, and then screwed by the state of CA. 

See, this is why I love Wyoming.  There's no SOL for any crime up there.  Now, if only they were warmer and wetter, I might've thought harder about living up there.

I'm actually okay with SOL for some misdemeanors.  I mean, a kid steals a pack of gum and thirty years later, they get punished for it?  That seems silly.  Still, the store was out money, so maybe even after thirty years, restitution should be paid.  I don't know about the little shtuff.  I do know that murder - first, second, manslaughter, vehicular, involuntary - is murder.  Someone lost their life and there should be some punishment for that at some point along the way. 

Of course, I also think 'attempted murder' punishments are totally bogus - especially when the only reason it wasn't MURDER was because the person they tried to kill was too tough to die. So they get a lighter sentence?  Feh.  I've seen too many true crime shows where the victim only survived through sheer will, but their attacker benefited.  That's bull.  But that's me.

What do you think?

*Funny, the acronym for statute of limitations is the same as the acronym for shit outta luck.  Which is what the victims of these untried crimes are.

The Big Reveal

Hello, Everyone!

As promised, here it is - the final cover for Accidental Death:

Not bad for something I created myself, eh?

And here's the final copy for the back cover:

Murder doesn’t happen here.

Serenity is the safest, little town in Colorado.  But residents are dropping like flies. No big deal. Accidents happen.

Or do they?

Detective Dennis Haggarty came to town to comfort his recently widowed sister, not investigate a homicide.  However, finding a corpse means he can’t avoid doing his job—especially since the local authorities are determined to disregard the facts.  Delving deeper, he finds a string of deaths everyone wants to ignore even when all the evidence points to murder.  Lucky for the detective, only one person in town has means, motive, and opportunity.

Too bad he’s falling in love with her.

Barring flood or Armageddon, I've promised to have this book live on May 18th and I will do my damnedest to stick to that promise.  (At least for the ebook.  Print may take a little longer.  We'll see.)

Sorry for making you wait, but I'm trying to build suspense here.  Did it work, or did you just find it annoying?

Oh, and Accidental Death is listed at Goodreads now.  Go Want to Read it.

Weaselly Wednesday - Elderly Man Fights Back

In the news this week, some numbnuts tried to rob a 95 year old man after he exited a pharmacy in Massachusetts.  The robber tried to snatch his wallet, but the old guy fought back - beating at the would-be thief with his cane long enough for some help from a passerby.

The WWII vet is quoted as saying his wallet was full of "...all sorts of stuff it would have been wicked for me to replace."

You tell, 'em!

It takes really low scum to rob the elderly in the first place, but a WWII vet?  The robber should be ashamed of himself.  And I hope all the other robbers point and laugh at him now because he got beaten with a cane.

Luckily, the man who put himself in harm's way to protect our freedom so long ago wasn't hurt by this weaselly coward.  They really need to catch this dude before he hurts someone.

If you want to read the story, go here.

Speaking of weasels, Emma is still wicked, but now her story is on sale for 99 cents.  Get all the mayhem at a fraction of the price.  Click the Dying Embers cover image on the top right of this blog.  If you already have a copy, send one to a friend.  Revenge is the gift that keeps on giving.  ;o)

A Sale, A Little News, and A Series Review

First things first... Dying Embers is on sale for 99 cents right now.  Spread the word.  Snag a copy for yourself.  Gift a copy.  Anything you can do will be greatly appreciated. 

Secondly, my maiden newsletter went out on Friday.  Did you get yours?  It has fun stuff in it and a giveaway and news. 

Next, I'll be letting the world know about the cover and the blurb for Accidental Death on Friday - when it goes live on Omnimystery News.  If you don't subscribe to them, though, don't worry.  I'll post it here, too.  

Finally, I know you're probably fans of suspense and junk, since you're here, but I'm a cross-genre reader.  To that end, I'd like to point you toward a SF series I've been enjoying.  I haven't read them all, and I'm way behind, but still I do love every installment I've been able to get my hot little hands on.

Mike Shepherd's Kris Longknife series.

Kris is the daughter of the Prime Minister, she's the heir to a family fortune, and the grand-daughter of a war hero and a corporate hero.  But rather than be a princess, she wants to fly.  So she's in the Navy - piloting ships through the galaxy. 

In Mike's own words: "The Kris Longknife saga is the story of a young woman coming of age during a time when things are falling apart and discovering that maybe humanity still does need heroes."

Damn straight!

Kris Longknife kicks ass, takes names, and still manages to be snarky.  I love her.

I've read the first four and just snagged the fifth this weekend.  Squee!  Now if I just had time to read.