Logo design by Kiersten Foster.
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In this newsletter ...
Welcome to all new subscribers!
This month's newsletter features Cathi Stoler, whose latest novel , STRAIGHT UP: A Murder on the Rocks Mystery, released in November from Level Best Books. Read my interview with Cathi and learn more about my own publishing journey in this issue. Look for my standalone thriller NEVER LET GO in your favorite bookstore December 20.
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NEVER BROKEN: Now available! |
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“A dark, gripping plot and a daring main character you can’t help but
fall in love with. It’s my first Lisa Jamison mystery but it won’t be
my last!”
– Steve Hamilton, Edgar-Winning Author of The Lock Artist and the Alex McKnight series
“Smart, brave, and filled with compassion,
journalist Lisa Jamison is the perfect sleuth for these challenging
times. Add in a plot that keeps readers guessing, and you get Never Broken, the stay-up-late-can’t-wait-to-read-the-next-chapter latest release by Lori Duffy Foster.”
– Elena Taylor, author of All We Buried and the Eddie Shoes Mysteries
“Kindhearted, tenacious, and fearless newspaper reporter Lisa Jamison wants answers no matter the cost. Lori Duffy Foster’s Never Broken
is a compelling mystery that explores the resiliency of the human
spirit. A page-turner with a protagonist we can all root for.”
– Bruce Robert Coffin, award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries
More reviews from readers:
“In my review of the first entry in this series, Dead Man’s Eyes,
I compared the author to Scottoline and Evanovich. I stand by that
comparison and recommend this fresh voice in crime fiction.” - Itsallaboutthebook.org
"This one will keep you on the edge of your seat." - Elaine, Goodreads
"This was a really gripping read, with so many well developed characters, and an amazing storyline." - Melanie, Goodreads
"This was a fascinating, consciousness-raising novel." - Patricia, Goodreads
"Started with a bang and continued through with twists and turns to the finale, great read and looking forward to reading more." - Jill, Goodreads
"I used to look forward to the release of the next Reacher novel. Now I can't wait for the next Lisa Jamison book to hit the market. Getting better with experience. Feels like reading the police blotter in a bad part of town. Keep them coming, Lori Duffy Foster" - Paul, Amazon
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If you read and enjoyed my books, please consider clicking on a rating or leaving a review on your favorite website, such as Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Book Bub. Reviews are important to newbies like me, who are also published by small presses. We greatly appreciate them.
A DEAD MAN'S EYES, book 1 in the Lisa Jamison mystery series and an AGATHA AWARD nominee, is available through any of these links or from your favorite book store.
Contact me at lori@loriduffyfoster.com for a signed copy.
Amazon Barnes & Noble IndieBound Bookshop.org Apple Books Kobo BAM Walmart Powell's
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Meet Cathi Stoler
Cathi Stoler is an Amazon Best Selling author and Derringer winner. The three novels in her Murder on the Rocks series, published by Level Best Books, feature The Corner Lounge Bar Owner, Jude Dillane. She is also the author of the Nick Donahue Adventures and the Laurel and Helen New York Mystery Series. Very involved in the crime writing world, Cathi is a member of Sisters in Crime New York/Tri-State, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. Find out more about Cathi at: www.cathistoler.com, or email her at: cathi@cathistoler.com.
About STRAIGHT UP: A Murder on the Rocks Mystery
Jude Dillane, owner of The Corner Lounge in Manhattan's East Village, knows she will never be safe until The New Year's Eve Serial Killer, Art Bevins, is behind bars. Still on the loose, he continues to taunt her. Blaming Jude for all his troubles, Bevins is determined to make her pay. With the FBI investigation at a stand-still Jude knows it's up to her to bring him to justice. With all this swirling around her, Thomas "Sully" Sullivan, her friend and landlord, becomes enamored of his new tenant, Dolores Castel. Jude instantly distrusts Sully's new love and believes Dolores is weaving a dangerous web. As she continues her pursuit of Bevins, Jude looks into Dolores's past, uncovering a series of deadly coincidences. Can Jude stop Bevins from his deadly pursuit and protect her friend from ruin?
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Q: You worked in advertising before becoming a crime novelist. Has any of your previous experience helped you with your fiction career?
Cathi: I worked as a creative director/copywriter for many years on a wide variety of accounts before deciding to write fiction. In some ways this helped tremendously as I’d stored up a lot of information on subjects from finance to food to fashion and more.
I didn’t realize when I started writing crime fiction that some of this information would find its way into my work, especially food and fashion. My latest protagonist, Jude Dillane, owns a restaurant, The Corner Lounge, on The Lower East Side of Manhattan. She loves food and vintage clothes and I use that in my novels.
On the other hand, writing 30-second TV spots and short ads of a few paragraphs, meant I was used to delivering a story in limited bursts. I had to learn to expand my writing in a way that would keep readers interested as I spun out my stories into full-length novels.
Q: How long did it take to find an agent and get published after completing your first novel?
Cathi: It took about two years to find an agent. I signed with Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency, whom I’d known when she was an editor. She sent my first book , KEEPING SECRETS, to quite a few publishers until we found one who was interested and who also wanted additional novels. It took about a year to find the publisher.
Q: Why serial fiction? Do you ever plan to write a standalone?
Cathi: I’ve written three series to date, The Laurel and Helen New York Mysteries, The Nick Donahue Adventures, and most recently, The Murder on the Rocks Mysteries. I’m working on book four in that series right now.
Once I start a book, I become very invested in my main characters. With a series, I can work on not only the arc of a character in a particular book, but also their arc as I develop them for future novels. I think each of my protagonists have grown and changed in a good way as their stories have progressed.
I do plan to write a standalone. It’s started but on hold for the moment. It’s a mystery/thriller about a woman who’s a serial eavesdropper and faces the consequences. I’m very excited about it and plan to get back to it soon.
Q: Your novels involve everything from art theft to gambling to serial killers. How much research goes into your novels? Do you enjoy it?
Cathi: I love doing research, especially on those topics. I’ve traveled to many of the places I write about in my books and try to include the flavor and feeling of each place in the story, as I did with Dubai in my OUT OF TIME Nick Donahue Adventure.
I live in New York and wrote TELLING LIES, from my first series, after 9/11 when I had the idea that someone who everyone thought had perished in the Twin Towers, had actually taken the opportunity to vanish along with a very valuable piece of art. This led to lots of research into art and art thefts and interviewing the F.B.I. Art Crimes Unit on repatriating art from a foreign country.
For LAST CALL and STRAIGHT UP my protagonist faces a serial killer. Looking into the backgrounds of serial killers and how law enforcement profiles and finds them was fascinating.
Q: Your Murder on the Rocks Mystery Series features a bar/restaurant owner in Manhattan who is being stalked by a serial killer with a grudge. What inspire you to write this series?
Cathi: Actually, LAST CALL is based on a crime that happened many years ago. A tourist from Holland was abducted on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. He was a six-foot-two young man and no one saw anything, which seemed almost impossible. His body was eventually found.
I thought what if a serial killer was hiding in plain sight and nobody knew? The story felt like a good fit for my protagonist, Jude Dillane, who served this person every day at her bar. When she becomes suspicious, he decides to eliminate her.
Q: Do you intend to write more books for any of your previous series?
Cathi: As I mentioned, I’m working on book four in the Murder on the Rocks Mystery series. Jude and her boyfriend, Eric, are on a very exclusive Mediterranean cruise and of course, encounter murder and mystery.
I’m also planning to write another novel featuring Nick Donahue and his P.I. partner, Marino DiPietro, solving a crime that’s close to home.
Q: What advice would you give emerging writers, especially those who want to write serial fiction?
Cathi: Really, the best advice I can think of is to keep writing. If you’re like me, your characters grow on you. Think about who they can become, how more developed and fuller you can make them. This can help you start to see the potential for other stories where different aspects of their personalities come through.
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This is where you will find me virtually and in person!
(For the always-updated website version, click here.)
News and Events
May 7, Sabinsville Spring Fling, Sabinsville, PA, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This was so much fun last year that I can’t wait to do it again! Sabinsville is tiny community, but the festivals draws more than forty vendors and loads of people, many of whom are looking for unique, last-minute Mother’s Day gifts. So, if your mom loves mysteries, I’ll be there to hook you up!
May 14, Dormann Library, 101 West Morris St., Bath, NY, 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by and visit with fellow mystery author Carol Pouliot and I. We will be selling and signing books, and we would love to meet you!
May 18, Bradford County Library, 16093 Route 6, Troy, PA, 6 p.m. Join me for a night of mystery as I read from NEVER BROKEN,
talk about my books and my publish journey and answer any questions you
might have about the books, writing or publishing. It will be fun. I
promise!
June 11, Local Author Day, The Windmill Farm & Craft Market, 3900 NY-14A, Penn Yan, NY, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This
is a new event for The Windmill, which is host to over 175 indoor and
outdoor shops filled with hand crafted items too numerous to count on
Saturday and Sundays from April through November. It’s a awesome venue
and I am thrilled to take part in this. I will selling and signing books
with lots of other authors from the area.
June 13, Rough Draft Bar & Books, 82 John Street | Kingston, NY 12401, 6 to 8 p.m. Beer,
wine, coffee and books! What could be better? I will among several
authors selling and signing books at this event. The building itself,
made of stone and located at Kingston’s historic four corners, is worth
checking out. They have awesome pastries and pies, too. Come by and say,
“Hi!”
September 8 – 11, Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 Marquette Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN.
Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery
and detective fiction. This will be the first in-person Bouchercon since
Covid and I cannot wait! I hope to see you there!
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A red-bellied woodpecker and apple blossoms. Sure signs that spring has come to the Foster homestead, despite last week's snow. I hope you all are enjoying pleasant weather and all the promises that spring brings.
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What's up with my books?
NEVER BROKEN is out in the world and is getting good reviews so far. Fingers crossed that more positive reviews come in. I am not sure I will ever get over the nervousness that comes with launching a new book. It's a bit terrifying to think that people are reading and judging something I have poured so much of my heart and soul into. The feeling keeps me on my toes though and is a good reminder never to slack off and get too comfortable with my own writing.
A DEAD MAN'S EYES did not win the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, but the winner, Mia P. Manansala's ARSENIC AND ADOBO, really deserved it. It was such an honor just to be nominated. (See the full list of winners and nominees here. ) This was my first time attending the Malice Domestic conference and what a thrill! It was so cool meeting readers and reviewers I have come to know online, and finally getting to see fellow writers in person. I'll admit I was a bit star-struck when I found myself sharing an elevator with Louise Penny and meeting Julia Spencer-Fleming, Walter Mosley and Rhys Bowen. They are all four wonderful and giving people. I highly recommend the conference to writers and readers of mysteries. I plan to attend again next year.
With all that behind me, it's back to edits of NEVER LET GO, my standalone thriller, which releases December 20. I am really excited about this book and I hope you will be, too. Here is a short description. This description deserves a little editing as well, but you'll get the gist of the novel:
Most people have nightmares while they sleep. Carla Murphy awakens to find herself living one. Her life wasn’t perfect, but it was good. Carla had always wanted to work for a New York City magazine, but she settled for a remote job in her Upstate New York hometown so her husband could run the grocery store he inherited from his uncle. She took a break from her career when their son was born and was elated when her best friend, who disliked children, invited her lunch. But lunch was a ruse. She awakens from a drug-induced slumber sealed in a room in her friend’s basement with her son gone, sold to another couple on the black market. Her best friend is no friend. She is obsessed with Carla’s husband and is willing to kill them both if she doesn’t get what she wants. Carla has no choice. She must help this woman, her confidant since childhood, seduce her husband or they all die, and her baby will be lost to her forever.
The manuscript for NEVER LET GO is due in June and that is coming right up, so I am diving into it head first. It will a challenge balancing promotions of the other two books with the preparation this one, but it's a challenge I am grateful to take on.
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What's up at home?
It's been a wonderfully busy spring with our twins participating in outdoor track and the school musical, and both older kids finishing up another semester. My husband has spent all of his spare time sorting through his mother's belongings and settling her estate. He has also been fixing up her house, so we can eventually rent it out. He has learned so much more about his family history and has enjoyed sharing it with the kids. I have a lot of book events scheduled this spring and summer and my paying job to focus on, of course (because this author stuff really doesn't pay :) ), but I have also started prepping the garden for planting. I can't wait for fresh peppers, tomatoes, zucchini -- all that stuff! I am really looking forward to the sun's warmth, late evening walks and maybe getting back into running again, despite my bum foot (I was a marathoner fifty pounds ago!). I plan to finish book three in the Lisa Jamison Mystery Series on the picnic table near the bonfire in the woods next to our house this summer. I hope you are enjoying the change in seasons as much as we are.
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The Lastest: Interviews, reviews, articles and podcasts |
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Here are the most recent interviews, reviews, articles and podcasts. For a complete list, click here.
Fictionophile, review
Dru’s Book Musings, interview with Lisa Jamison
Read with Me, Review
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOOK, interview
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOOK, review
Dru’s Book Musings, review, Never Broken
Wellsboro Gazette, article, Agatha nomination
Dark and Stormy Book Club, podcast, Agatha nomination
WETM, television news story, Agatha nomination
My Twin Tiers, article, Agatha nomination
ThisorThatThursday, interview
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Happy writing and reading! |
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