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How to Square Your Grouper is in Pre-Order!

Good Adventures,

My new June Nash Mystery, How to Square Your Grouper is on pre-order with a release date of May 10, 2020. Yay! To celebrate, I’m reading the first three chapters on the podcast.

Listen here.

Gifts from strangers are never good. Especially when they’re big bundles of drugs.

June Nash is back. In Key West on vacation. And not at all hiding out from her famous brother’s crazy fans, The Dewzers. It’s been a tough couple of months and she just wants a little peace and quiet. But life doesn’t work that way in June’s world. Drug runners have mistaken her for their contact and she ends up with a sailboat full of Square Groupers. Which the Coast Guard immediately takes off her hands. So she’s in the clear, right? Not even a little. Now she’s dodging bullets from rival drug runners as she tries to escape her mom’s attempt to bond and Morgan’s obsessive need to figure out why someone from their past has followed her to Key West. How do you go from sipping rum one minute to running for your life the next? With June, it’s just another Tuesday.

Links:

How to Square Your Grouper Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo

https://melissabanczak.com

That’s it for this week. I’ll see you next time. Go read a good book.

Melissa

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Mystery Writing Prompts – 3 authors write live, you can play along too.

Books Cubed Ep 58

Good Adventures,

More live writing prompts this week! I’m joined by Lisa Mahoney, my co-author in the Roll-A-Prompt Writing Journal Series, and authors Jeannie Wycherley, Misha Safran, and Joan Mularz. They write, we chat, then they read. All in 30 minutes. 

This time we worked from the Mystery Edition and I’ve included the prompt we used so that you can play too! Our authors had about 20 minutes to write this time. After you’ve listened to the show, grab a six sided dice, roll for your elements, set your timer for 20 minutes and then share some or all of what you wrote.

Prompt Set: 

Roll your dice for your main character. Even= Your MC is alone Odd= Roll again for a companion.

  1. Cigar Maker
  2. Gymnastics Coach
  3. Lobster Boat Captain
  4. Retail Store Clerk
  5. Mall Ear-Piercing Kiosk Girl
  6. Survivalist

IF the MC is alone, add an object. Roll one number

  1. Air Conditioner
  2. Exit Sign
  3. Crib
  4. Quarter
  5. Bulletproof Vest
  6. Desk Calendar

Roll One Number for a Scenario

  1. Cleaning Up A Crime Scene
  2. Falling Into A Ravine
  3. Motor Won’t Start
  4. Unclogging A Stopped-Up Sink
  5. Kids Running Through A Broken Fire Hydrant
  6. Developing Film In A Dark Room

That’s it. Write down what you roll, set your timer, and get to writing! If you share in the comments I’ll read them in a future show. No time limit if you’re listening way off in the future. 

Links:

Roll-A-Prompt Writing Journal Series on Amazon. Kobo. Barnes and Noble. 

Our Guest Authors 

Joan Mularz: Website | Books on Amazon | Facebook  | Twitter 

Jeannie Wycherley: Website | Books On Amazon 

Misha Safran: Authentic and Wholehearted Joy Facebook Group for Women | Safran Consulting On Facebook  

That’s it. I hope you enjoyed today’s show. Don’t forget to comment. Go read (or write) a good book. 

Melissa

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Running in Circles

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Getting ready to run 13 miles at the gym (we’ve got a half marathon in about 6 weeks more on that later) Every mile is 16.76 laps. I’m going to be here forever.

It feels like I’ve been running in circles trying to finish How to Sex Your Snake. I’ve been rewriting the last 80 pages and finally made some progress. Yesterday, I sent off a ch that I’ve rewritten about 10 times. My editor loved it. With one little suggestion. I will set that aside for the moment and attack chs 19 thru 24. I worked from home this weekend but it’s back to the office (my corner booth at mcds) starting tomorrow.

On the cover front, things are coming along. I hired the artist a few days ago. I hope to debut that soon.

Mark is bitching at me to get out of the locker room and up on the track.

Hope you’re not somewhere stuck in circles too.

Write On,

Melissa