A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT

 

 

A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT

by Marlene M. Bell

October 7 - November 1, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

 

 

Synopsis:

From the award-winning author of the ANNALISSE MYSTERY SERIES.

THE VISIT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Celebrity chef Laura Harris dwells on the horror of finding her mentor’s body in the groundskeeper’s disheveled bed—pillow and bedding half covering her open eyes—purple bruising around her mouth. A grisly snapshot in time revealing the Texas woman’s last moments during her attack. The elderly matriarch from the small town of Stenburg has left the physical world, and Laura is shattered.

She is catapulted headlong into the pursuit of a casual executioner, one bold enough to come and go from the crime scene with ease, dropping bizarre crumb trails designed to mock the deceased. But Laura herself doesn’t go unnoticed. As she digs deeper, she is followed and bombarded by warnings to leave the state.

When the victim’s attorney informs Laura that she’s to inherit the entire Stenburg fortune, the last act of kindness has made Laura the main person of interest in the investigation.

Message by message, Laura is methodically taunted by someone so deranged and driven they’ll do whatever it takes to dislodge Laura from Texas – permanently.

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth/Mystery/Cozy Mystery
Published by: Ewephoric Publishing
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Number of Pages: 368
ISBN: 979-8-9863409-6-8
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Enjoy an Excerpt:

 

 

About the Author:

Marlene M. Bell has never met a sheep she didn’t like. As a personal touch for her readers, they often find these wooly creatures visiting her international romantic mysteries and children’s books as characters or subject matter. Marlene is an accomplished artist and photographer who takes pride in entertaining fans on multiple levels of her creativity.

Marlene’s award-winning Annalisse series boasts Best Mystery honors for all installments including these: IP Best Regional Australia/New Zealand, Global Award Best Mystery, and Chanticleer’s International Mystery and Mayhem shortlist for Copper Waters, the fourth mystery in the series.

She offers her children's picture book, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! written primarily for younger kids based on true events from the Bell’s East Texas sheep ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of belonging and unconditional love between a little girl and her lamb.

 

Q&A With the Author:

Who is your favorite author and why?

I thoroughly enjoy Andrea Penrose and her Wrexford & Sloane historical mysteries. As part of the research in genre favorites of international readers, I’m reading authors from the UK to study their writing styles and how they differ from authors who write for mainly a domestic USA audience. Reading this series has helped me note the clear and subtle differences in authors' mysteries who reside in countries other than the United States.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

 

I’m a homebody and prefer the company of sheep to being with most people. They never complain and are instant stress relievers. I’d rather sit against the barn among the sheep and in nature to clear my mind of distractions than most anything else.

What was your inspiration for writing this book?

My husband and I left the state of California for Texas in 2012. A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT gave me the opportunity to research more of East Texas, our new home, and write about its history through the eyes and dialog of Laura Harris, the book’s protagonist. She’s also an expatriate from California.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Hands down, the research aspect. Anytime I’m able to dig into the historic background and scenery of a location in one of my books, I can better serve the reader's experience. My goal is to make each chapter so descriptive and realistic it brings the page to life.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

I wrote A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT to give myself an intentional break from writing the Annalisse series that began fourteen years ago. Having picked up some bad habits along the way, the new standalone mystery made me think more about the reader's experience and less about the ongoing angst between my main characters in the series.

The outside book has given me time to consider the next series installment. Book #5 is in the outline process currently. Will Annalisse and Alec finally work out their differences, or will some terrible event befall them before this happens? Bill Drake, their detective friend, will become an integral part of the series going forward due to his popularity with series followers.I’ve been asked to create a separate series just for him. Who knows?

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

The most helpful gift a fan can do for their favorite author is to leave a rating or even a short review of their book after reading it. We understand how difficult it is to judge a writer’s work and critique it. Writing is hard. There’s no two ways about it, but we can always improve. Not everything we write is going to resonate with every reader. Help an author by honestly critiquing your likes and possibly dislikes about their book. It’s how we learn to become better writers and get the most entertaining stories published. Each new review gets an author to their next book.  

 

Catch Up With Marlene M. Bell:

www.MarleneMBell.com
Goodreads - @dorsetghal
BookBub - @dorsetgalwrites
Instagram - @marlenemysteries
Twitter/X - @ewephoric
Facebook
Facebook - @marlenembell
Amazon Author Page

 

 

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