Meet Una Tiers, Author of Judge vs. Nuts

Please welcome my guest Una Tiers, an avid reader, attorney, and independent author in the Chicago area. She is the author of Judge vs. Nuts, a novel she describes as a "Cozy - a mystery without loads of cussing, sex or violence" and "Humorcide - a lighthearted look at murder." Her title and the story's Chicago setting drew my attention to her book.

Reviews of Judge vs. Nuts give some eye-opening insight into the voice and writing style of Una Tiers. One reviewer described the experience of reading Una's story as being "seduced by the lusciousness of her prose and the near flawless timing of her wit."
 

 



GAIL: Thank you for taking time to visit, Una.  I worked in the Loop back in the 60's and love reading mysteries set in Chicago. You chose to write a murder mystery with a humorous touch. Can you please share with us more about the novel and your research for Judge vs Nuts?

UNA TIERS: Judge vs Nuts is a story about judicial corruption in Chicago and about a young attorney trying to make a living as a solo practitioner.  While a lifelong resident of the city, I did more research on Navy Pier than anything else.
 

GAIL: You refer to Navy Pier several times in the novel with interesting descriptions and details that include: ". . . it has a view of the city skyline and can't be beat for a place to daydream or be romantic." You also include some of its fascinating history, from war time up to the installation of the pier's famous ferriswheel. Research is one of the entertaining aspects of every writer's job. Is “the job” the most important part of your protagonist’s life?
 

UNA TIERS: Fiona Gavelle has little else in her life but work.  She gets divorced early in the book and dating isn’t going too well for her. The detective investigating the murder intrigues her although he isn’t exactly her type.

 
You can check out all of Una's books and more at Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2P3g9Gu

My review of Una's book Lettuce Read Wills:

LETTUCE READ WILLS by Una Tiers 

 

 

This is a short book, but it is packed with fun and interesting information about famous people and the contents of their wills. Attorney Una Tiers also gives sound advice to us lesser, or at least less wealthy, mortals about having a will and updating it in a timely fashion.

I was quite surprised to learn of certain wealthy people who died without a will.

The author also includes excerpts from her mystery novels. 

 

 

Una's Twitterology 2018: http://www.unatiers.com/no-blog-blog.html

 

Original article posted July 9, 2012

 

*****

 

THE HANGED MAN'S NOOSE by Judy Penz Sheluk #MysteryReview

A tweet about an interview with editor Lourdes Venard led me to freelance reporter and author Judy Penz Sheluk’s blog site and the discovery of her debut mystery novel, THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE. These opening lines of the book’s synopsis hooked me:

Journalist Emily Garland lands a plum assignment

as the editor of a niche magazine

 based in Lount’s Landing, a small town named after

a colorful 19th century Canadian traitor.

 

As the novel unfolded, I quickly developed a liking for the protagonist, freelance writer Emily Garland, and felt the tension in her emotional and tentative decision to relocate for a new job assignment. The history of Lount’s Landing is presented with an intrigue that supports the mystery behind events occurring in the small town.

 

Emily’s assignment to expose a real estate developer’s intentions soon serves to introduce several well-developed characters with a kaleidoscope of conflicting personalities. As the vibrant colors of splintered-glass events swirl around the town, in and out of a cozy tavern with its own infamous history, the wounds cut deep.

 

And then, as the expression goes, murder happens.

 

I admit to thinking, more than once while reading The Hanged Man's Noose, “I didn’t see that coming.” Sheluk holds the reader captive with hints of secrets and promises of revelations that, when finally unveiled, do not disappoint.

 

*****     *****     *****

 

You can visit Judy at:

 

Blog site: http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/2016/02/19/interview-with-an-editor-lourdes-venard/

 

Twitter: @JudyPenzSheluk https://twitter.com/JudyPenzSheluk

 

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Judy-Penz-Sheluk/e/B00O74NX04/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1459205923&sr=1-1

 

 

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY of NESHOTO JUNCTION HOMICIDE




Click to Enter Goodreads Giveaway

Goodreads Giveaway

of

Neshoto Junction Homicide

Within the first hours of a planned fishing trip, Insurance Investigator Pepper Bibeau's vacation turns deadly. Unearthing a killer may depend on her unbridled curiosity, and her ability to stay alive.

Book 4 in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series, and a stand-alone novel set in scenic Wisconsin, released on January 17, 2016.

BEFORE I STARTED WRITING the first draft of Neshoto Junction Homicide, I had completed the preliminary research to get a feel for the story. In this case, the research was all fun. The story is set in a fictitious county modeled after my hometown, which is located at the junction of two healthy rivers that flow into Lake Michigan. The surrounding area is beautiful with open country and pine forests. Its history includes settlements of Native Americans and the Wisconsin Glacier that formed lakes, rivers, and even Niagara Falls.

My experience with family genealogical research has been beneficial in my research for my novels. Because locating ancestors can require good detective work, I've found that the process also helps with detailing mystery plotlines.
 

From the back cover of Neshoto Junction Homicide:

During the first hours of a planned fishing trip, Insurance Investigator Pepper Bibeau’s vacation turns deadly.

Pepper's head is spinning over a marriage proposal from the father of her 14-year-old son. A last-minute assignment to investigate questionable medical claims on two preteen girls adds to the tension. Before she can relax, someone shoves her into a storm-swollen river to conceal a body. With a young girl's life at stake, Pepper must uncover an unlikely connection between an abandoned rifle and a litany of environmental complaints.

 

The local sheriff offers little support, obvious in his opinion of females in the work force. Without his help, Pepper gathers clues to solve the mystery behind this series of troubling events. Unearthing the killer depends on her unbridled curiosity, and her ability to stay alive.

If you like a good mystery, click on the Goodreads Giveaway link for a chance to win a trade book copy of Neshoto Junction Homicide. Click on this link: http://bit.ly/1PIdJlr to sign up for a chance to win one of three copies of Neshoto Junction Homicide.

Also available now at Amazon in ebook format:

http://amzn.to/1WzrUiv

 

 

Goodreads Giveaway for Neshoto Junction Homicide

http://bit.ly/1PIdJlr

 

 

PAYING IT FORWARD: AUTHOR LAURIE HANAN

Everyone needs at least one fellow writer who is also willing to take on the role of first/beta reader; a person who will point out your mistakes, and then give you suggestions on how to fix them. I’ve been lucky to have more than one such person. But one in particular deserves the spotlight. The person who let me know, more than once, when my thought process needed adjusting is author and editor and friend, Laurie Hanan.

Laurie Hanan
Author of Louise Golden mysteries

Today, I am “Paying It Forward” to Laurie with a huge “MAHALO” for her tremendous support and camaraderie. Over the past five years, she has readily answered my many questions and volunteered her time often, without hesitation. In a profession that could easily become more competition than mutual encouragement, Laurie's willingness to help others stands out. 

Does she offer sympathy when I am feeling insecure in my writing? Not! Her advice is more on the order of, “Yup, we’ve all been there. Get over it.” Okay, then. 

Laurie Hanan is the author of the Louise Golden Mysteries set in Hawai‘i. She recently published STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, the fourth novel in the series. On September 24, she will hold a gathering and “talk story” session for this novel. Here is her open invitation:  

You are invited to an evening of drinks (no alcohol!) pupus, and talking story about my latest novel, Stairway to Heaven.

 

Thursday September 24, 6:30 - 8 pm

Villages of Kapolei Recreation Center, in the conference room

 

Excerpts of reviews for STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN:

***** "This novel reads like today's headlines." Goodreads review 

***** "Laurie Hanan’s newest novel, Stairway to Heaven, is an action-packed story that takes her heroine, mail carrier Louise Golden, to new heights of adventure. Great characters make a great story. This one’s a very entertaining read, and I couldn’t put it down." A.K. Gunn, author of If Pigs Could Cry and The Honey Bee 

***** "Hanan adds subtle humor to the mix, making this a quick read, not the light beach kind but the tension-filled fast moving kind that keeps you reading to learn what happens next. Caution: When you climb the Stairway To Heaven, be sure to watch your step." Gail Baugniet, author of the Pepper Bibeau mysteries 

***** "Mild mannered Louise Golden, intrepid mail carrier, is once again pushed into the middle of a mystery almost too bizarre to believe." Greg Field, author if Red Dirt, White Bones  

***** "Laurie Hanan spins the reader forward and ends with a satisfying thump. A really fun, fast-paced, mystery that's made all the more enjoyable by Laurie's knowledge and description of the O'ahu setting." JoAnn Bassett, author of the Pali Moon mysteries

 

You can visit Laurie at:

Facebook: Laurie’s Author Page
Twitter: @LaurieHanan

 

All of Laurie's books are available at Amazon
Laurie Hanan Amazon Author Page

 

H is for HONOLULU SHORT STORIES

To all the co-hosts of 2014 AtoZ CHALLENGE: Mahalo Nui Loa for all your hard work

and endless hours spent on making this another successful year.

For anyone not following, here is the link: A to Z Challenge Blog

and the hosts:
Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Author Stephen Tremp
Tina @ Life is Good
Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs
Jeremy @ Being Retro
Nicole Ayers - The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner
AJ @ Naturally Sweet
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian

 

The theme of my 2014 A-to-Z Blog Challenge is BLUES, PUPUS, and REVIEWS.

Monday & Wednesday - REVIEWS: mini-style book reviews

 

MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense is a collection of twisted, heart-pumping tales of suspense in all its guises. This anthology features 13 utterly unforgettable short stories by 13 of the hottest authors to appear on Hawai’i’s literary scene. 

The mysterious glint in the eye of the mynah bird posing on the cover offers a promise of intrigue within. Honolulu’s Chinatown is the scene of several diverse mysteries that include a New Year’s Eve traditional cozy; a bloodless corpse; an off-duty HPD detective; and P.I. Jimmie Chan who takes on a seemingly simple infidelity case that soon turns deadly.

 

 

From Cozy Mystery, Urban Noir, and Gumshoe, to Classic Crime, you can’t go wrong. Why not let MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense take you on a colorful trip around the islands and show you a bit about Hawaiian culture, its people, and life in paradise? 

Being involved in compiling, formatting, and publishing this anthology in 2013 was a unique and gratifying experience for me. Would I do it again? I’m still thinking. 

What is your experience with publishing?

Fast Five Author Interview: Larissa Hoffman Reinhart

Today my guest is Larissa Hoffman Reinhart, author of PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY.
Larissa considers herself lucky to have taught English in Japan, escaped a ferocious monkey in Thailand, studied archaeology in Egypt, and survived teaching high school history in the US. 

Please join me in welcoming Larissa this morning.

FAST FIVE: Ohayo gozaimasu, Larissa. Irasshaimase. Rather than the 140 characters we’ve grown accustomed to on Twitter, can you share with us a more detailed account of the novel and your research for PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY?

LARISSA HOFFMAN REINHART: In tiny Halo, Georgia, everyone knows Cherry Tucker. She’s small, fierce, and loud. She’s also a talented artist. When the well-heeled Branson family wants to memorialize their murdered son in a coffin portrait, Cherry scrambles to win their patronage from her small town rival. Her rival wants to ruin Cherry’s reputation, and Cherry finds someone is also setting her up for a fall.

In a town where it seems impossible to have skeletons, Cherry finds some people have more to hide than others. Particularly the victim’s stepbrother, Cherry’s old flame, who is back in town after his stint in the army. He’s interested in Cherry, but she can’t tell if his interest is sincere or a ruse to learn more about the murder. Either way, she’s not eager to add more personal conflict in her life. She has a flaky family, issues with a goat, and a sort-of ex-husband she can’t shake. On top of this, she’s outraged to find an underground gambling ring run by a recent immigrant in her hometown. Cherry seeks justice and to clear her name while trying to get a portrait finished on time.

I have an art history and art background, so I enjoyed the research on portraiture and reacquainting myself with some of the art techniques. I grew up in a small town, so much of that life is well known to me. Most of my research was done on vehicles, goats, and guns. Which is pretty fun research, in my opinion.

FAST FIVE: Your comments about the goats and Cherry's “sort-of ex-husband” are sure to make any curious reader want to find out more about your protagonist. Is “the job” the most important part of your protagonist’s life?

LARISSA HOFFMAN REINHART: Cherry Tucker’s creativity is an essential part of her personality and that’s what makes her a good artist. She’s also ornery, stubborn, and a smart mouth. Combine that with a tenacious loyalty toward her family and hometown. However, her sense of duty and need for justice melds with this tangential creative thinking and sometimes outweighs common sense. Like thinking she can outsmart a killer. 

FAST FIVE: The Mystery/Suspense genre is the focus of Fast Five interviews, but what unique twist makes your novel stand out? 

LARISSA HOFFMAN REINHART:I believe readers would say the humor and the language makes this mystery stand out. I’m a character driven writer. I enjoy taking the plot down interesting roads, but I gain the most pleasure in creating memorable characters and putting them in odd circumstances. And the characters are Southern, so some readers would say they talk a little funny.

FAST FIVE: How does your main character’s profession draw her into suspenseful situations, (murder, for instance?) 

LARISSA HOFFMAN REINHART: Cherry Tucker is a portrait artist, struggling to live on an artist’s income in her small, Southern hometown. Her desperation drives her toward this odd portrait of a murdered man and leads her closer to the killer in this story. Her artist profession brings her into contact with a variety of people, but it’s her personality that gets her involved in murder. 

FAST FIVE: Is this book part of a series, and are you working on a sequel? 

LARISSA HOFFMAN REINHART: PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY is the first book in the Cherry Tucker Mystery series. I have written the sequel and if all goes well it should be out in the spring.

FAST FIVE: This isn’t a Fast Five question, more an “if/then” scenario: If Paris is not an option, then where would you most like to spend your time writing and why.

LARISSA HOFFMAN REINHART: Why isn’t Paris an option? Paris should always be an option. Or are you suggesting you’re not footing the bill to Paris? My laptop travels well. And I write better without internet access. So Paris sounds pretty good. Or my local coffee shop, which does not have wireless access. We used to live in Japan which also does not have a lot of wireless hot spots. I got a lot of writing done there, too! 

Thank you for visiting today, Larissa, and having fun with the FAST FIVE questions. I agree that Paris should always be an option!

Where readers can follow you:

 

My website is www.larissareinhart.com, but I’m very chatty on Facebook www.facebook.com/RisWrites) and Twitter (@RisWrites).
I’m also on Pinterest under Larissa Reinhart and Cherry Tucker1 and Goodreads.
And my friends and I do a book chat every Wednesday on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LittleReadHens. Join us!


 

Murder in the Mystery Genre

Don’t expect to witness a murder in every mystery novel. A Cozy, the traditional mystery found in Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple investigations, doesn’t describe all the gory details of a hapless victim’s demise. Blood splashed onto walls occurs off-stage; the pathetic gurgling of a backstabber, in the throes of a strangling fit, cannot be heard from the porch swing of a conventional Cozy.

When an out-of-control bus loaded with Las Vegas bound revelers careens down a steep and rocky embankment, forced off the road by the jealous lover of its escaping occupant, you will not see or hear a body fly through the air and smash- land, spreading oozing brain matter over jagged rocks below.

Murder is not always a messy business. Traditional novels don’t expose readers to the graphic carnage one expects from a hardcore detective novel or a suspenseful thriller. Be sure your choice indicates Cozy status, if you don’t want to experience ear-splitting bone breaks, bomb-shattering car wrecks, jugular-slicing knife fights, or fire-melted body dumps.

Mysteries with soft-core sleuths are my novel of choice, though I’m a sucker for just about anything with a mysterious twist.

Mystery abounds within many genres. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?