Another Mystery Featuring Connnie Murphy

            Connie Murphy is a senior FDA investigator dedicated to protecting public health and safety. While conducting routine inspections, intrigue and danger intervene, and she gets involved in drug smuggling, food poisoning, economic fraud, industrial espionage, human trafficking, and identity theft. She uses her interviewing and interrogation skills to uncover problems when people are less forthcoming, hide documents or fail to tell the truth.

The twelve Connie Murphy e-books have been incorporated into four volumes containing three individual stories. Each is based on real FDA cases with the names changed to protect the guilty.

They are available at Amazon.com

About the Connie Murphy Mysteries, books 4-6

Dark As Chocolate: The food poisoning of a former high school classmate leads Connie to inspect Morerich Chocolates. On the surface, Morerich appears to be following the regulations, but she soon discovers the company is hiding illness complaints about their Delightfully Delicious candy bars. As Connie digs deeper, she becomes entangled in economic fraud, drug smuggling, kidnapping and attempted murder.

Hide And Seek: The FDA receives an anonymous tip that TanDur Pharmaceuticals is keeping duplicate books. Connie is sent in undercover to gather information. At first, everything appears normal, except for a mysterious locked room. Then Connie asks one too many questions…

Catch A Thief: While dealing with a [new] supervisor from Hell, Connie inspects a suspicious warehouse explosion and investigates a cough syrup poisoning. After her car is vandalized and her briefcase is stolen, she must track down her lost credentials and a laptop containing proprietary information before they fall into the wrong hands. Her ongoing pursuit takes her into the dregs of identity theft and revenge.

Today we’re speaking with FDA drug investigator, Connie Murphy. Can you tell us about the second Connie Murphy Mysteries paperback? Each involves a different situation: a consumer complaint; an anonymous tip about a manufacturer keeping double books, and my car is vandalized and my identity stolen.

Can you give us some examples? In “Dark as Chocolate”, the FDA receives a complaint about the company’s Delightfully Delicious candy bars. During a stakeout, I follow a truck that leaves the warehouse in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, I was caught and the suspect threatens to cut me into little pieces to feed the fish.

     In “Hide and Seek”, while working undercover, I discover a suspicious locked room inside the manufacturing area. After work, I wait until everyone has left, then enter the room. When I’m caught, management needs to make me disappear and I’m kidnapped.

     “Catch a Thief” hits closer to home. My car is vandalized and the briefcase with my credentials and laptop containing proprietary information are stolen. I travel to New Jersey to catch the thief and recover the stolen items before they fall into the wrong hands.

A bit about the creator of the Connie Murphy Mysteries: BarbaraHelene Smith is a woman of mysteries. Like most writers, she has a story to tell. Inspired by intrigue, she uses her experience from academia, government and private industry to plot suspense stories. The Connie Murphy Mysteries are based on her seventeen years as an FDA investigator.

She belongs to several writing groups: Lilac City Rochester Writers, Wild About Writing and Novel Ideas. Her stories and poetry have been published in the Barnes and Noble’s Halloween Anthologies (Horrendous Halloween, Howling Halloween, Hair Raising Halloween), IdeaGems, The Storyteller, Adventures of the Average Woman, Tough Lit, and Cruisin’ Style Magazine. “Merry Christmas to You” won the May 2006 International Library of Poetry Editor’s Choice Award.

BarbaraHelene also published Assume Nothing, four short mysteries about ordinary women who, while looking for the truth, find themselves in extraordinary situations. She is currently writing a contemporary mystery, Uprooting the Family Tree.

When not writing, she likes to travel, hike with friends, work on genealogy, and volunteer at the local animal shelter.

Contact BarbaraHelene Smith at bhs.author@gmail.com.

 

 

Introducing: the Connie Murphy Mysteries

           In keeping with our regularly-irregular Books In A Series postings, Wild Women Authors is delighted to feature author BarbaraHelene Smith and the Connie Murphy Mysteries, a set of short contemporary mysteries which feature a senior drug investigator with the Food and Drug Administration. The stories are based on real cases from the author’s seventeen years’ experience as an FDA investigator.

First up is the protagonist, FDA investigator Connie Murphy.

Good morning, Connie. Thanks for joining us to talk about the series and yourself. Let’s begin with how you would describe yourself. I’m passionate about protecting public health and safety. After graduating from college, a neighbor, who worked for the Social Security Administration, suggested I look for a job with the Federal government. That’s how I began working with the Food and Drug Administration. An investigator is very much like being a detective. I must find ingenious ways to uncover how and why products fail, especially when people are less forthcoming, hide documents or fail to tell the truth.

How do you do this? I’m trained in interviewing and interrogation techniques and keep asking questions until I get the right answer.

Tell us about your job. What do you do exactly, and when, why and how? The best part of the job is no two days are ever the same. The FDA inspects a wide variety of products - food, drugs, medical devices, and blood banks. The investigators have a monthly work plan to inspect manufacturers to ensure they are adhering to government regulations. The assignments are sometimes interrupted to follow up consumer complaints, medical emergencies or special investigations. As a senior drug investigator, I also audit clinical trial studies for new drugs.

Is there potential for danger? Technically, no. However, while conducting some routine inspections, intrigue and danger sometimes intervene, and I occasionally find myself in threatening situations.

Can you give us some examples? Most problems occur at the Mexican border when identifying and stopping prohibited substances from entering the United States. On one stakeout, I was shot when I got caught in a crossfire between the FBI and a drug cartel. I was also kidnapped on assignment in Puerto Rico and left to die in the ocean.

Your life seems very busy. Do you have time to date? Occasionally. I’ve dated Tex Marshall, an FDA investigator I first met in Utah and then on assignment in Puerto Rico. Steve Morrison, a homicide detective, is a good friend of my brothers and I’ve known him for years. I met Drew Brown, a fraud detective when he interviewed my Aunt Agnes and me as witnesses to an extortion case.

Who won your heart? You’ll have to read the stories to find the answer.

Thanks for this, Connie. Now we’d like to chat with BarbaraHelene.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? I read a lot of mysteries. Some of my favorite authors are Louise Penny, Michael Connolly, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Steve Berry, J.A. Jance, just to name a few. I’m also a big fan of television mystery shows.

Regarding research, obviously you write what you know but did you need extra research for any of the individual books, and if so, where did you start? I start with the basic facts from the FDA case. However, when dealing with some pharmaceutical problems, I must do extra research. I have a degree in biology, so I understand most of the chemistry, but I need to get the readers to understand the specifics without getting too technical.

What makes each story in the series different? Each story highlights a different aspect of the FDA and is based on real cases with only the names changed to protect the guilty.

About the first three mysteries in this series:

Book 1—Death by Dysfunction: Connie investigates a pharmaceutical-related death that takes her to Puerto Rico, where the drug was manufactured. There she teams with Tex Marshall, an investigator with whom she had a previous romantic encounter. Together, they uncover evidence of an illegal Internet operation. It takes Connie’s investigative training to locate the drug cartel’s headquarters and her athletic prowess to escape death.

Book 2—Sidelined by Steroids: While Connie is in southern California instructing new investigators, she is assigned to participate on an Interagency Steroid Task Force. The Task Force doesn’t take Connie’s female presence seriously. Undeterred, she attacks their make-work assignments with her typical stubborn determination and uncovers vital information. She is convinced another illegal steroid shipment is imminent, but the Task Force is too busy to listen. She travels alone to the Mexican border to follow the suspect shipment, biting off more than she can handle and putting her life in danger.

Book 3—Trials and Tribulations: Connie’s assignment is to audit a clinical trial for an off-label drug use. While reviewing records at the pharmaceutical manufacturer, she observes a suspicious report from one of the study sites. She visits the doctor conducting the testing and learns the Study Director and all the case files are missing. Her ensuing investigation leads to industrial espionage and murder.

What's next for you? I’m writing a novella, “Uprooting the Family Tree”, about a woman who travels to California to learn more about her birth mother, only to discover everything she’s been told is a lie. While working with a retired police detective, she gets entangled in a twenty-five-year-old cold case involving rape, kidnapping and murder. The book should be out as an e-book and paperback this summer.

All of the Connie Murphy Mysteries can be found in print as well as pub formats at Amazon.com

About our Feature Author: BarbaraHelene Smith is a woman of mysteries. Like most writers, she has a story to tell. Inspired by intrigue, she uses her experience from academia, government and private industry to plot suspense stories. The Connie Murphy Mysteries are based on her seventeen years as an FDA investigator.

She belongs to several writing groups: Lilac City Rochester Writers, Wild About Writing and Novel Ideas. Her stories and poetry have been published in the Barnes and Noble’s Halloween Anthologies (Horrendous Halloween, Howling Halloween, Hair Raising Halloween), IdeaGems, The Storyteller, Adventures of the Average Woman, Tough Lit, and Cruisin’ Style Magazine. “Merry Christmas to You” won the May 2006 International Library of Poetry Editor’s Choice Award.

BarbaraHelene has also published Assume Nothing, four short mysteries about ordinary women who find themselves in extraordinary situations while looking for the truth. When not writing, she likes to travel, hike with friends, work on genealogy, and volunteer at the local animal shelter.

Contact BarbaraHelene Smith at bhs.author@gmail.com.

 

Why Do You Like Me? by Hannah Rose

              Today, Wild Women Authors focus on Why Do You Like Me?, a contemporary romance written by Georgia author, Hannah Rose, and recently released by Rowan Prose Publishing

What others are saying about our focus book: “. . . Fans of Lisa Frederickson's “The Utterly Sublime Adventures of Ava Roberts,” Becky Albertalli's “Imogen, Obviously,” and Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe” will enjoy “Why Do You Like Me,” by Hannah Rose.

 About Why Do You Like Me?

At a friends’ wedding, Mae Saunders has a love-at-first-sight moment with Amber, someone whose aura matches the surrounding snow. But then Amber drags Mae into a wild, half-planned scheme for a European trip. Utterly smitten, Mae is ready to follow Amber anywhere, even quitting her job at a tea shop like she’d quit college more than a year ago. As a twenty-two-year-old lesbian, Mae knows she prefers femme women, even if she isn't sure of much else.

Mae’s sure she’ll win Amber’s heart during the venture, but there are two obstacles. As a bisexual, Amber encounters the lamest dudes to flirt with in every city. And then there’s Blaise, Amber’s non-binary Belgian cousin—a killjoy the family sends as a companion for the trip. Blaise is a presumptive, quiet reminder of the gap between Amber’s world and Mae’s. Yet her surprising attraction to them confuses her, their aura a golden light she can’t ignore. Regardless, Mae stubbornly maintains she’ll woo Amber, and by the time they reach Paris, she’ll be Mae’s girlfriend.

Plan in place, Mae confides in Blaise as they grow closer, and friendship lines blur as her strategy crumbles. Blaise breaks every rule Mae assumes about attraction, their vigilant protection comforting her without asking for anything in return.

But if Mae can't decide what or who she really wants, she might lose them both.

 Why Do You Like Me? can be found at: https://books2read.com/u/38qzqr

 About Hannah Rose

Previous to writing fiction, Hannah Rose was an award-winning newspaper journalist with a BS in Communications and Information Technology. Currently, she's a stay-at-home mom to a child on the Autism spectrum. She identifies as a bisexual, demisexual woman who is on the ADHD spectrum. She resides in Georgia.

The House of Dust and Shadows

               Ghosts and the past may not be the only things haunting their family.

Today, Wild Women Authors focus on The House of Dust and Shadows, a gothic-style mystery, written by UK author Tabitha Potts, and current release out of Rowan Prose Publishing

About the Book: We are but dust and shadows is the motto on the sundial in the garden at Blackthorn Manor. The past haunts the family living there.

When Robert Landimor, a famous painter, dies suddenly, he leaves his estate, including Blackthorn Manor, to his housekeeper, Mary, disinheriting his three daughters, Lucia, Izzy, and Sara in the process. No one understands why.

Sara attempts to find answers but only uncovers buried secrets about their father and his family instead. Then, the body of a woman is discovered in the lake on the Manor's grounds, leaving Sara and her sisters to face terrible danger.

What others are saying about this book:  “. .. Fans of “Weyward” by Emilia Hart, “Wakenhyrst” by Michelle Paver, “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, and “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson will enjoy “The House of Dust and Shadows” by Tabitha Potts.

The House of Dust and Shadows can be found at:

https://books2read.com/u/3Lq6P7

 About our focus author: Tabitha Potts has won several awards for her work, including an Honorable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. She runs a literary podcast, Story Radio Podcast, and lives in London with her family and two dogs. She is a lover of the Gothic, folk horror, and ghost stories, and enjoys kickboxing and cooking (not at the same time). "The House of Dust and Shadows" is her first novel.

Indigo by Karen Hulene Bartell

             In the no-man's land between cultural myths and emotional vulnerabilities, superstitions can devolve into delusion. . . but where does that lead?

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature author Karen Hulene Bartell and Indigo, the first in her Cryptid Charisma series. We’ll begin today’s post with manuscript editor Raluca Olson.

Good morning, Raluca. Thanks for spending time with us. Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born and raised in various suburbs on the south side of Chicago. I hadn’t traveled much before inheriting a remote cabin, so leaving the Windy City for the backwoods of Northern Wisconsin was more an act of desperation than courage.

Tell us a bit about Indigo. It is the story of my second chance. Reeling after my fiancé dumped me, I inherited a rustic cabin from an unknown relative. Eerie incidents and rumors of a mythical windigo alarmed me, but before I flipped the property, I was determined to learn the truth about my dysfunctional family.

Surrounded by shady real-estate agents, ruthless threats, and a treacherous ex, I was overwhelmed—until a rescued puppy and a shocking spark with a local named Dylan McCoombs set my world on fire…literally…

After a series of of creepy happenings, I began to ask myself…What does a demonic half-beast share with a psychosis and porphyria? Are monsters born or formed? Is it nature or nurture? Is a windigo spirit genetic? More importantly, if so, do I carry the windigo gene?

What did you think the first time you saw Dylan? When I first saw him, with his thick, curly hair, square jaw, full lips, and gunmetal-blue-gray eyes, it was lust at first sight. I was infatuated, but after what I’d been through with my ex, I couldn’t trust my instincts.

Lust at first sight is always intriguing, but what was your second thought? His looks and demeanor were captivating. When he invited me for a drink, I had all the finesse of a tongue-tied tween. Unable to manage any witty repartee, I could only nod mutely. But his generous personality quickly put me at ease.

Was it love at first sight? In retrospect, yes, but I was gun-shy…still recovering from being dumped on my thirtieth birthday, just days before my wedding.

What do you like most about him? Unlike my ex, Dylan puts others first, puts me first. He listened to me. He helped me tile the bathroom and paint the dock. Working with roofers and the insurance company, he effected a new roof on my antiquated cabin. Then he helped me find a reputable real estate agent, and he stood as a shield between me and my ex and whatever lurks in the woods nearby.

You’ve already described him physically; what about his spirit? He’s a giver, not a taker…and a perfect gentleman--even after we become cabin mates—which is a very long story.

How would Dylan describe you? Despite having an easily shattered bravado, I’m persistent, tenacious, and—as he puts it—cute.

What made you choose manuscript editing for a career? I could work remotely from the cabin, 350 miles from my office in Chicago.

What is your biggest fear? I’m afraid of what lurks, shrieks, and screeches outside my cabin at night. I fear what has glowing, tawny eyes, leaves mutilated animals on my doorsill, and smears blood across the door and porch. I’m afraid of a neighboring meth house and the fires that mysteriously appear near my cabin.

How do you relax? Dylan installed deadbolts, which put my mind at ease initially, but when the drama stepped up, he moved into my cabin.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Matilda Wormwood from Matilda because she overcomes a life run by uninvolved caretakers.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? “Love makes a person do peculiar things they’d never consider otherwise.”

Thanks again for this, Raluca. Now we’d like to chat with Karen.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Under the Tuscan Sun, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Joe Versus the Volcano.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Several events: I walk my dog past a nearby cemetery, where I saw a “devil’s chair;” a creaky, hanging sign; a bare patch with just a footstone, a “hanging tree;” swerve marks on the road beside it; a mailwoman who chewed and spit; and a neighbor who swore the events that happened in Indigo actually happened to her in another cemetery. Truth embellished with imagination is what impacted Indigo.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? Six years ago, I was looking for a publisher for a book I’d drafted called Wild Rose Pass, named for a pass through the Davis Mountains of West Texas. It was fate when I found The Wild Rose Press was open to queries because, in the past six years, they’ve published the last six of my books: Wild Rose Pass, The Keys, Kissing Kin, Fox Tale, newly released Indigo, and Blue Dog to be released this fall.

What books currently rest on your TBR pile? Death by Coconut by Susie Black, Bondwitch by Chelsey Ortega, and Recipe for Murder by Marla White.

Last, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Indigo has just been released, and Blue Dog, another book in the Cryptid Charisma series, will be released this fall.

 Indigo can be found at:

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3kRlWn

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Indigo-Cryptid-Charisma-Hulene-Bartell-ebook/dp/B0GHZHM1WQ

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indigo-karen-hulene-bartell/1149708480

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/indigo-by-karen-hulene-bartell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249818067-indigo

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=9781509265251

BooksAMillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509265251

Indie Bound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/indigo-karen-hulene-bartell/d36bdd344e121211

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/indigo/id6760712664

 

Karen Hulene Bartell can be found at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuleneKaren

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell  

Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/ 

Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhulenebartell/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/

AUTHORSdb: https://authorsdb.com/community/17847-karen-hulene-bartell

The Boy With the Heart of Sea Glass by Laura Livingstone

 “An impressive debut with moments of brilliance.” -Richard Hall, author of I'm Fine

Today, Wild Women Authors focus on The Boy With the Heart of Sea Glass, a paranormal/fantasy written by Laura Livingstone, recently released by Rowan Prose Publishing

About The Boy With The Heart of Sea Glass: Eighteen-year-old Sam returns to the tiny Cornish island where he was born hoping to mend his broken heart and learn more about the father he never knew. Instead of finding answers, Sam’s life becomes even more complicated when he begins to dream of the sea every night.

Falling for the first boy he meets also doesn’t make Sam’s life any easier. But Tryste is the perfect distraction. His thunderstorm eyes and their instant chemistry make Sam wish he still believed in happy endings. But Sam’s wounds run deep, and he’s worried about having his heart broken again.

As Sam’s dreams intensify into eerie visions, he suspects there’s so much more to his family, and his new boyfriend, than meets the eye. Embracing the truth will blur the line between reality and fairytale forever.

Will Sam choose to stay on dry land or follow his heart to the bottom of the ocean?

What others are saying about today’s focus book: “. . . Fans of “The Wicked Deep” by Shea Earnshaw and “Out of the Blue” by Jason June will enjoy “The Boy With the Heart of Sea Glass” by Laura Livingstone.

The book can be purchased at: https://books2read.com/u/bQnQ1v

About our focus author: Laura Livingstone lives in Devon with her family and three cats. She taught history for twelve years before changing her career and moving to the seaside. When she’s not writing, she is on a beach collecting sea glass, trying to get through her ever increasing TBR pile, or embroidering elaborate scenes from The Simpsons. She is a ball of anxiety and enjoys using her writing to explore this. She is massively into happily-ever-afters...and cats.

 

The Water Diamond by CB Wilson

              Sometimes the only person who can think like a jewel thief is the daughter of one. . .

After a legendary Art Deco bracelet vanishes under suspicious circumstances, diamond recovery specialist Taylor “Hunter” is called in to recover it. What begins as a high-profile theft quickly escalates into something far more dangerous: a murder, a decades-old disappearance, and a hidden second bracelet tied to a mystery dating back to May 29, 1929.

As Hunter follows the clues, the investigation leads from the elegance of the Wrigley Mansion to its historic coastal counterpart, the Wrigley Mansion on Catalina Island—uncovering a web of secrets that spans desert and sea. But she’s not the only one searching, and someone is willing to kill to keep the truth buried.

Today, Wild Women Authors are pleased to feature Arizona author CB Wilson and The Water Diamond, a contemporary mystery-adventure, a current release out of the Wild Rose Press. This second novel in her Gem Hunters Mysteries series—an adrenaline-charged adventure begins at Phoenix’s historic Wrigley Mansion and follows a trail of secrets to Catalina Island.

First up is Taylor “Hunter” & Glimmer, the Diamond Dog. Hunter agreed to answer a few questions—though she insists Glimmer deserves equal billing.

Hunter, let’s begin with how you would describe yourself. Depends who’s asking. Insurance companies call me a diamond recovery specialist. Law enforcement sometimes calls me a pain in the neck. My sister Hope says I have “boundary issues.” Personally, I think I’m someone who prefers answers over lies.

With regard to The Water Diamond, what pulled you into the case? A stolen Art Deco bracelet at Wrigley Mansion. That should have been straightforward. Then someone dies, a missing heiress from 1929 enters the picture, and suddenly I’m chasing clues from Arizona to Catalina Island while someone else hunts us in return.

Is this your most dangerous case yet? You mean beyond crawling through abandoned mines and crossing paths with international thieves? Absolutely. The frightening part isn’t the diamonds. It’s realizing someone has been willing to kill for this secret for nearly a century.

Readers are fascinated by your father, the legendary jewel thief known as the Silver Fox. Does he influence this case? My father influences every case whether I like it or not. People assume I inherited his instincts. Maybe I did. The difference is that I use mine to return stolen jewels rather than take them.

Let’s talk about Glimmer, the diamond-sniffing dachshund. Is she really that good? Yes. Glimmer notices things people miss. She also steals French fries and refuses to work in the rain, so she’s not entirely professional.

What makes The Water Diamond different from your previous adventures? This one feels personal. The deeper we dig, the more the mystery becomes about family, legacy, and who deserves to own history. Also, Catalina Island has a way of hiding secrets in plain sight.

Last, any advice for readers visiting Catalina Island after reading the book? Watch the shadows in the Catalina Casino ballroom. Keep an eye on the old Bird Park tiles. And if Glimmer starts barking near the Green Pier… follow her.

The Water Diamond is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.

 

About the Author: Known for her cinematic sense of place and high-stakes storytelling, CB Wilson draws on her background as a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America to bring authenticity to the world of rare jewels and high-value recoveries.

She is an award-winning Arizona author, gemologist, and animal advocate and writes the Gem Hunters Mysteries and Barkview Mysteries, blending real-world settings with gripping plots and unforgettable characters—including Glimmer, the diamond-sniffing dachshund.

She can be found at: cbwilson@cbwilsonauthor.com