Category: Guest Blogger

Guest Blogger ~ Suzanne Baginskie

~ patyjag ~ 3 Comments

Crafting the Fifth Novel in my FBI Affairs Series

After setting three of my four standalone novels in Florida towns, I decided to set the fifth book, Dangerous Triangle in Tampa, Florida. About forty minutes from my home, Tampa is a rapidly growing Gulf Coast city known for its sunny climate, diverse economy, and rich cultural history, including the historic Ybor City district. Visitors are drawn to attractions like the scenic Riverwalk along the Hillsborough River, as well as its vibrant nightlife and iconic Cuban sandwich, which dates back to the cigar factory era of the late 1800’s.

While Tampa continues to thrive, certain violent crimes remained a concern, which provided me with the premise for my next novel. My characters are FBI Special Agents that work in the Cybercrime, Human Trafficking, and Violent Death Unit. The story was about a gripping, high-stakes investigation that spanned a decade, weaving together a serial killer case, A.I. cybercrime, and a looming terrorist plot, forming a chilling three-sided web of danger.

I’ve always been drawn to strong FBI characters, particularly female agents and their dynamic partnerships with their male counterparts. FBI agents operate on a national level, often tackling complex, high-risk cases that naturally lend themselves to suspenseful storytelling. What makes them especially compelling to me is the balance between their professional duties and personal lives. My characters face intense, life-threatening situations, and yet they also deal with relatable family and emotional challenges. Before each mission, they are required to sign an agreement prohibiting romantic involvement as it could compromise their case. Of course, emotions aren’t so easily controlled. That tension adds another layer of conflict, as they strive to remain professional while navigating their feelings. Ultimately, their mission comes first, and they find ways to reconcile their personal lives once the case is resolved.

When I created character names for this novel, I looked for combinations that felt strong, memorable, and fitting for federal agents. Since my series features both a female and male lead, I like their names to complement each other in a way that readers will remember. In Dangerous Triangle, for example, I chose the last names London and Monroe because they felt distinctive and worked well together.

Once my book was written and published, the real challenge began, “marketing.” Many authors struggle with how to get their work noticed beyond social media, which can only take you so far. One strategy that worked well for me was tying my books to a specific location, such as my home state of Florida. I discovered that “location equals marketing.” Readers are naturally drawn to stories set in places they recognize or feel connected to.

At times, I participate in local craft shows and farmers markets to increase my sales. As a traditionally published author, I set up a table and engaged directly with potential readers. At first, simply describing my books as mystery and suspense didn’t always spark interest. But when I mentioned that my stories were set in Florida cities, people became more curious. They would browse more carefully, read the back cover blurb and often purchase one book or even the entire series. Offering autographed copies also made a difference. The in-person events created a personal connection, and I found there are many readers that genuinely enjoy supporting local authors. By the way, in 2025, Dangerous Triangle won a Silver Presidential Medalist Book Award from the FAPA (Florida Authors and Publishers Association.)

Dangerous Triangle

FBI Special Agent Olive London and her partner, Special Agent Jason Monroe, are thrust into a high-stakes investigation that spans decades in Suzanne Baginskie’s latest romance thriller, Dangerous Triangle. As they delve into the chilling case of a potential serial killer, new clues surface about the most recent victim, a young college student who may have met her fate through an online chat room. With the pressure mounting, London and Monroe turn to the Bureau’s cutting-edge A.I. program, Atlas One, and its brilliant controller, Professor Steve Dalton. But just as they begin to unravel the dark web of the serial killer’s activities, a terrorist threat against Tampa, Florida emerges, forcing the agents to pivot and confront a danger that could result in mass casualties. Amidst the relentless action and rising tension, another kind of excitement ignites between London and Monroe. Several close calls awaken a romantic attraction they can’t ignore, yet both are painfully aware that acting on their feelings could jeopardize their careers. Dangerous Triangle masterfully weaves together action, romance, and intrigue, making it an unmissable installment in Suzanne Baginskie’s gripping FBI Affair series. Will London and Monroe catch the killer and thwart the terrorist plot in time? And will they risk everything for a chance at love?

Buy Link: FBI AFFAIRS:  http://amazon.com/dp/B09JPCX2CX

Suzanne Baginskie is an award-winning author of the “FBI Affair Series.” Five books of mystery, suspense and romance set across her home state of Florida. A retired office manager/paralegal, with 30 years of legal experience, she brings authenticity to her crime stories. She loves traveling, especially on cruise ships. Most sea days on board, you’ll find her plotting stories outside on the deck while gazing at the beautiful blue ocean. Every time she sails a ship, she donates autographed copies of her books and bookmarks to their library.

Links:

Website:       www.suzannebaginskie.com

Facebook:     www.facebook.com.sbaginskie

Instagram:    www.instagragram.com.sbaginskie

X:                 Https://twitter.com/sbaginskie

Link Tree:    Https://linktr.ee/SBaginskie

Guest Blogger ~ T.L. Bequette

~ patyjag ~ 2 Comments

Venturing Out

I am the author of the five mysteries that comprise the Joe Turner Mystery series. Like Joe, I am a criminal defense attorney practicing in Oakland, and my thirty years in the courtroom have provided a trove of stories. Write what you know, I suppose.

Joe is a more interesting version of me—younger, better looking, drinks more, quicker on his feet, and more daring in the courtroom. Most of my stories find Joe Turner defending young black men in Oakland. They resonate, in part, because of their authenticity, as my real-world experiences make their way into the courtroom. Sometimes, the inspiration for my characters is even recognizable to my colleagues. This became a problem once when fellow attorneys began placing bets on the inspiration for a particularly incompetent judge.

However, in my latest book, Holler Whispers, I decided that it was time for Joe to get out of town. He ventured to a small town in Georgia to defend an autistic teenager accused of murdering the local high school football hero. I knew there would be research but mainly thought of the project as an enjoyable adventure. When writing about a particular jail or courtroom, I’d felt constrained by their reality. Now, I would be free to let my imagination create its own reality. While this did come to pass, the greater benefit came from researching two vital aspects of the story—autism and the Deep South—and from considering how inadequately the criminal justice system serves those in the neurodivergent community.

In many ways, writing Holler Whispers was a lesson in its own subject matter, a story of education, inclusivity, and acceptance. While someone close to me is autistic, to be fair to the neurodivergent community, I researched the autism spectrum and did my best to put myself in the shoes of one of the story’s main characters and his family members. Writing in Carl’s voice helped me to appreciate his profound daily challenges, and I strove to do so with respect and dignity.

Likewise, while my father grew up in the South and I’ve enjoyed my time there, I am not a Southerner. I enjoyed researching the area of my fictitious small town of Barton, Georgia, on the edge of the Oconee National Forest. With the help of my father’s memories of childhood adventures, I hope I accurately described not only the native plants of the region but also the hollers’ unique feel.

I hope I did justice to those who inhabit both places—the autism spectrum and the South.

Writing the story also brought into focus a problem I knew existed. As a criminal defense attorney, I have seen firsthand how poorly our criminal justice systems deal with people along the mental health continuum. Almost by definition, the rigidity of the law prevents it from considering the nuances necessary to ascribe culpability to those in the neurodivergent community accused of crime.

Writing Hollers Whispers was both cathartic and educational in this regard. If you read the book, I hope you enjoy some of these same lessons.

Holler Whispers

Oakland defense attorney Joe Turner ventures to a small town in the deep south to defend an autistic teenager accused of murdering the local high school football hero. Joe must overcome a biased jury pool, an ornery judge, and a seemingly airtight case. The roller-coaster trial is seen through the eyes of the jury—a diverse group that struggles with their own preconceptions about autism and nearly crumble under the weight of their decision. But is there a plant on the jury and whose side are they on?

Desperate to shield his vulnerable and endearing client from prison, Joe is assisted by his girlfriend, Eddy, and Chuck, his colorful investigator. Together, the three urbanites navigate a world of southern charm and hillbilly legend where secrets whisper through the hollers, just out of reach.  

Written by a trial attorney, Holler Whispers captures the raw emotion of the courtroom and depicts a criminal justice system fraught with human frailty. Enjoy unravelling this twisty whodunit that tugs at your heartstrings.

Purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Holler-Whispers-Turner-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0G5L3D6VK

Todd Lewis Bequette is a criminal defense attorney turned writer from Lafayette, California. His latest Joe Turner Mystery, Good Lookin’, was just named a Kirkus Indie Award Finalist. Much of Bequette’s law practice involves defending young men from Oakland accused of murder, so his day job provides a trove of plotlines waiting to be written. A Georgetown Law Graduate, he serves on the faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic. He enjoys playing with a tireless border Collie mix, Russet, and will remain a lifelong fan of the Oakland A’s.

https://www.instagram.com/tlbequette

Guest Blogger ~ M.E. Proctor

~ patyjag ~ 3 Comments

The Call of the Road

By M.E. Proctor

The Way You Say My Name, Book 3 of the Declan Shaw mystery series, will be released in September (publisher: Shotgun Honey).

In theme and mood, this book feels different to me. Love You Till Tuesday was a classical murder mystery: a singer is found dead in her apartment; there is no apparent motive; corporate and police corruption play a major role in the story. Book 2, Catch Me on a Blue Day, started with an apparent suicide and resurrected 30-year-old ghosts. The case Declan Shaw investigates has its roots in the past and the arc of the plot is a long one.

At first sight, the canvas of Book 3 seems smaller. For one, there is no murder (not in the beginning, there isn’t). Can it still be called a mystery? The situation puzzles the cop who brings Declan on board. “I almost wish somebody died,” he says. Because a body makes things clear, we know where we are, and what is expected of the wily investigator.

So what is expected of Declan in The Way You Say My Name? He’s hired to find a woman, Amanda, who doesn’t want to be found. She’s not missing, not exactly. She phoned home to tell her parents she was fine. But didn’t say where she was or how long she would be gone. Which doesn’t reassure anybody.

And so, Declan’s quest begins. It will take him from Texas to the Atlantic seaboard, and back. It won’t be a pleasure trip. He will be broken in body and spirit, unsure of what he achieved, how much he resolved, and wondering what his intervention may have made a lot worse.

Hitting the road is a recurrent film noir theme: criminal on the run, drifter showing up in a small town creating chaos, men and women fleeing from their past and hoping for a better life in a place where nobody knows them. There’s some of that in The Way You Say My Name, with a twist when the pursuer finds out that he has, in turn, become a prey.

Declan muses: “What is people’s fascination with end of the world locations? Maybe they think nobody will come that far to find them. Amanda is exactly the kind of person who would run to the end of the landmass and stop because she can go no further.”

Declan does stop when he reaches the ocean, and believes his job is done—Amanda has been found. Only to realize he would have been much better off if he’d kept running.

In many ways, this story is a road movie. Declan’s old pickup truck eats miles of freeway and back roads. There are stops in fast food joints and gas stations, nights of uneasy sleep in a cramped cabin, stiffness in the early morning, tar-laced coffee in paper cups. Encounters too, some helpful and some not so much. It’s the end of January, nobody travels for pleasure. And when Declan reaches North Carolina, the beaches are deserted and the bitter wind bites.

Years ago, I have driven the road Declan takes. I know the stops (except the one in the Jackson, Mississippi, FBI Field Office) and the final destination. It’s funny how experiences like that don’t seep into the writing right away. It takes time for the sediments to settle.

Another road trip to West Texas has given rise to two short stories already and is now the core of the work-in-progress that might become Declan Shaw Book 4 (cross fingers). I don’t know if my more recent trips—Texas to Maine, Texas to Michigan, Texas to Montana—will eventually find a way into a narrative. I hope they do; I’m keeping a journey journal, just in case.

It feels oddly appropriate to release The Way You Say My Name this year, that marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66. A hundred years since Americans realized that there was an entire country open to explore. Hop in the car and go. Hit a few National Parks on the way. I still find it seductive to open my eyes to new horizons every morning. I was born in Europe and we don’t have the same appetite for roaming over there. Yes, people get on the road at vacation time (clogged freeways prove it) but the trip is more utilitarian: the beach awaits! There’s an element of discovery in the American approach to car travel … a vague remnant of the explorer’s spirit.

I wish I could share the cover of the new book with you … Patience, it’s coming!

—-

The Way You Say My Name

A Declan Shaw Mystery

“A spiraling game of cat versus mouse.”
—Craig Terlson, author of the Luke Fischer series

On New Year’s day, P.I. Declan Shaw is hired to investigate a disappearance. Amanda Spencer, a young mother of two, slipped away from a Christmas concert without leaving a clue. What made her run and who is she running from?

While digging up shreds of info from Amanda’s parents and friends, Declan meets Sam Chandler. She’s the kind of woman who stops him in his tracks. Sexy, smart, and complicated. And skilled at keeping secrets. So skilled Declan questions his abilities as a detective. What began as an intriguing missing person case soon shifts into a cross-country pursuit with Sam’s life in the balance.

For once, Declan isn’t the searcher, he’s the one who cannot afford to be found.

In The Way You Say My Name, narratives intertwine as a double spiral winds tighter and tighter. Amanda’s story is one of them. Protecting Sam is the other.

And the closer Declan comes to finding Amanda, the more he risks losing Sam.

Buy Links:

The Way You say My Name will be available on September 22, in eBook and paperback.

You can find Books 1 and 2 in the series on the Shotgun Honey site, here.

M.E. Proctor was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. She’s the author of the Declan Shaw detective mysteries: Love You Till Tuesday, Catch Me on a Blue Day, and the upcoming The Way You Say My Name. She’s the author of two short story collections, Family and Other Ailments and A Book to Live By, and the co-author of the retro-noirs, Bop City Swing and Kansas City Breakdown. Her fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. She’s a Shamus and Derringer awards short story nominee. Catch Me on a Blue Day was recently nominated for a Shamus Award in the Best Original Paperback category.

Social Links

Author Website: www.shawmystery.com

On Substack: https://meproctor.substack.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martine.proctor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MEProctor3

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/meproctor.bsky.social

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

Guest Blogger~Kathleen Kaska

~ patyjag ~ 6 Comments

Murder, Hotels, and Roadside Attractions

by Kathleen Kaska

One of the great joys of writing my Sydney Lockhart Hotel Mysteries is stepping back into the early 1950s—a world balanced between postwar recovery and renewed optimism. The American dream felt tangible then, within reach. For Sydney, that dream meant breaking free from the prescribed role of wife and mother and forging her own path in a man’s world—first as a newspaper reporter, then as a private detective. The only complication was the man she met along the way. But that’s another story.

Back to the hotels.

While the murder plots are born entirely from my imagination, the settings are not. Each mystery unfolds within an actual historic hotel. For me, these grand dames are more than elegant backdrops—they have stories of their own. Their architecture, guest registers, and whispered legends carry me into a true-to-life past, lending each novel an authentic texture.

Beyond the hotels, I explore the surrounding businesses that thrived in their heyday—speakeasies, illegal casinos, and especially roadside attractions. These quirky landmarks still dot America’s highways and byways. Many sprang up between the 1940s and 1960s, when newly built interstates rerouted traffic away from small towns, threatening local economies. The solution? Create something so unforgettable that travelers would have to pull off the road. Curiosity would do the rest.

During my husband’s and my retirement adventure—our two-year, 47,000-mile journey we call “The Big Trip”—we encountered more than a few of these curiosities. In West Texas, the half-buried, graffiti-splashed cars of Cadillac Ranch rose from the prairie like a modern Stonehenge. In South Texas, we searched for the mysterious glow of the Marfa Lights. In Houston, we wandered through the aluminum-clad marvel of the Beer Can House.

Then there were the corn-themed delights: South Dakota’s Corn Palace; Iowa’s Field of Dreams baseball field carved from a cornfield (I entered—and thankfully found my way out); and the humble memorial marking Buddy Holly’s crash site outside Clear Lake, Iowa, hidden among rustling stalks. It was too much fun not to weave these Americana treasures into my stories.

corn Field of Dreams

In Murder at the Arlington, set at the historic Arlington Hotel and Spa, Bathhouse Row plays a key role. I also mention the Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo and Tiny Town, both of which still delight visitors today.

In Murder at the Galvez, Sydney finds herself stranded on Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pierwhen a blinding fog rolls in—and a bullet slices through the mist.

For Murder at the Menger, research took me deep into Louisiana’s swamps with Cajun Encounters Tour Company at Honey Island Swamp, home to the legendary Whiskey Tree and the ghostly moonshiner said to guard it still.

But my favorite roadside attraction lies just outside New Braunfels, Texas: Aquarena Springs. My parents took my sisters and me there when I was young. The crystal-clear lake featured glass-bottom boats and the world’s only submarine theater, where aquamaids—women dressed as mermaids—performed underwater ballet. There was even an underwater wedding, with lead weights sewn into the bride’s gown to keep it from drifting upward.

In Murder at the Faust, Sydney tracks suspects to Aquarena Springs, where an aquamaid makes a startling discovery that helps her solve the case.

Aquarena Springs closed in 1996 and is now the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment—but in the 1950s, it was pure magic. And as any mystery writer knows, magic often hides something darker beneath the surface.

Welcome to Sydney’s world. Check in. Settle in. And watch closely as Sydney brings every secret to light.

Giveaway

Kathleen is giving away an autographed copy of Murder at the Faust to the person who can tell her where this photo was taken.

Murder at the Faust

Welcome to the historic Faust Hotel, where the year is 1953, the carpet is plush, and the crime scenes are unfortunately plentiful. A bloody hotel room, a dead body on the bank of the Guadalupe River, and a suspiciously well-informed police chief land Sydney in the interrogation hot seat.

With Dixon still recovering from a gunshot wound, help arrives—whether Sydney wants it or not—in the form of plucky Lydia LaBeau and the irrepressible Cousin Ruth Echland. Lydia promptly delves into birdwatching escapades with a mysterious new friend, while Ruth, disguised as a Miss Texas contestant, seems more focused on evening gowns than evidence.

Then another dead body turns up in Sydney’s apartment. Lydia disappears. And the case takes a turn for the bizarre with the arrival of a mermaid and a Bible-thumping zealot—just the sort of chaos Sydney has come to expect.

In a whirlwind of duplicity, deception, and pageant drama, one question looms:
Will the real Sydney Lockhart please stand up?

Look for Murder at the Faust in bookstores and on Amazon on September 8, 2026.

Buy Links:

Pre-order today: https://anamcara-press.com/product/murder-at-the-faust/

http://www.kathleenkaska.com

Kathleen Kaska writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series, the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series, and the Mystery Trivia series, which includes The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book, published by Lyons Press. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of BAKING Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She founded The Dogs in the Nighttime Sherlock Holmes Society, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Her latest Sydney Lockhart mystery, Murder at the Pontchartrain, winner of the PenCraft Award for best mystery series, is set in New Orleans at the Pontchartrain Hotel. Kathleen is the winner of the Amity Literary Award for her novel, Death Without Dignity, scheduled for release in January 2027. A Texan at heart, she remains a Texan, even though she now lives in a small coastal town in the Pacific Northwest, where it’s cooler, and there is no traffic. 

Social Media Links

http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska

https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkaska/

https://www.amazon.com/author/www.kathleenkaska.com

Guest Blogger ~ Julie E. Eble

~ patyjag ~ 3 Comments

When Words Don’t Come by Julie Eble

I sit at my desk, thinking, researching and tapping out intriguing stories when my brain freezes, and not from eating ice cream too fast. I’m mired, stymied, frustrated. I’m trapped in a lonely, silent space crowded with self-doubt and growing angst. Not even my thesaurus shakes me from this synaptic tundra. My brain repeats the same words, like Jack Torrance in Stephen King’s “The Shining”. Okay, that’s over the top, but you get the idea.

The dreaded block strikes most often when I’m stuck in a sentence that cries out for more imagery. A character whose fingers were cold. Just cold? No, no. This character is worthy of more. Somewhere in my loony cranium, I hear “SIMILE”, like, uh… “cold as ice”. Way too obvious. “Cold as a cucumber.” Used too much. “Cold as…,” “Cold as…” I stare at my screen. “Cold as a fish?” Again, too hackneyed. Ack! The block has me in its clutches!

A group of treasured friends from my grade school years once asked how I come up with funny, unexpected phrases. My confession surprised them. For me, they seldom just pop onto the page. I work at it. And when I’m truly stuck for a scintilla of an idea, I stop staring at the screen. I tap my pencil, swivel in my chair, study the scenery outside my window. Whatever it takes. Deadlines be damned.

One day as I stared at a recalcitrant phrase and my thoughts drifted into an epic, redundant stupor, I pushed back my comfy, wheeled, stuffed chair from my paper-strewn desk. I decided to walk around the house. If my brain cells were stuck, at least my body could get in some steps. I paced around the dining room table, circled the kitchen island, hiked up the steps, down the hallway and back, thinking: “Cold as a walrus’ tusk.” “Cold as a penguin’s flippers.” Did I tell you I booked a cruise to the Antarctic? “Cold as a granite coffin.” Oooh, that’s dark. “Cold as the frozen crab legs in my freezer.” Now that’s just silly. “Cold as a viper’s stare.” Oh, that fit.

I now use the walking-around technique whenever I’m truly struck. And that might be the end of this story, except for a little adventure I had with my 10-year-old granddaughter.

On a recent babysitting gig, my husband and I took her to the American Dream Mall. “Sprawling” doesn’t capture the mammoth structure. We wandered about and bumped into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. What a treat. We could select various questions for which each honoree had recorded answers. A video of each famous New Jerseyite popped, and we heard their answers. So cool. Bon Jovi, Connie Chung, Mark Kelly, and Jason Alexander, to name a few. But my “ah-ha” came from… are you ready… Judy Blume.

Yes, Judy Blume hails from New Jersey, and what she said fascinated me.

When she was a young girl, she spent hours bouncing a ball against a wall. So much so that her mother worried about her mental health. You know how moms can be. Judy said she was working through issues, ideas, plots, whatever. And she told us, science has confirmed a link between movement and creativity.

In 1997, the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that physical exercise can improve creativity. In 2021, Austria’s University of Graz found a relationship between physical exercise and imagination. I expect further research is being done by human scientists that artificial intelligence will tell us all about it.  

I continue to wear out my carpets to capture just the right bit to slip into a sleek, cheeky, glum or silly sentence. And it’s not bad for my waistline either.

Her ex-husband. His billionaire fiancée. One final negotiation. What could go wrong?

With spunk in her step and humor as her shield, Emma faces her ex at the fabled Vanzetti estate to cut the final cords of their ill-fated marriage. When the demanding heiress threatens her, she erupts.

Hours later, the bride-to-be gasps her last breath.

The police zero in on Emma at her cozy nest at the corner of Apple Road and Apricot Lane. A hunky but stoic detective and his team unearth evidence that incriminates her. Evidence that can’t exist. Can it?

Emma, still mourning her father’s death and armed only with her innocence, fights back. When she flounders, her cynical roommate, the elusive private investigator Stevie Rivers, teaches naïve Emma key lessons of detecting. Together, the stalwart and the cynic dive into Brandywine Valley’s world of wealth and equestrian eventing.

Their wry banter deepens their friendship, but the cloud around Emma continues to thicken. They must unearth the real killer before cold steel doors close behind Emma.

But as the horses clear the cross-country hurdles, the murderer strikes again. Emma and Stevie must risk their lives in a deadly race to stop the killer before they become the next victims.

“With punchy humor on every page, Dad Didn’t Prep Me for Murder takes the reader into the world of equestrian eventing with skill, wit, and a perceptive understanding of both people and horses. Julie Eble provides a compelling mystery with well-developed characters and an action-packed ending, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

Lucinda Gerlitz, Author of Etiquette Can Be Murder newsletters

Buy links: Amazon

Barnes & Noble

BAM!

Bookshop.org 

Julie Eble is an author and award-winning playwright and entrepreneur. As an amateur birder, she often travels with her husband seeking out new species for their life list. She is member of Sisters in Crime, an avid reader, and huge fan of Philadelphia sports teams. 

Her debut amateur sleuth mystery, “Dad Didn’t Prep Me for Murder” published on 15 April 2025. You can find Julie on her website www.julieeble.com