Fossend Publishing

Fossend Publishing

Friday 2 December 2016

Top five favourite books of 2016

I always like to do a short post every year in December highlighting the books that I really enjoyed reading throughout the year. All of the below books were released this year and are a in variety of genres. 



A mystery so shocking it needs to stay hidden

Carola’s life is perfect – or so it seems. Her husband, her friends, her staff don’t see the emptiness of a loveless existence. Every day is the same, until the day when she has enough. Without warning she leaves her home country of Germany to start a new life in the Canadian wilderness. 
But she is not equipped to handle the hardships of a lonely existence in a remote cabin. A five-day snowstorm brings her close to her breaking point. Searching for means to survive, she discovers the written confession of the previous cabin owner who wants to clear his conscience by admitting to a terrible sin he committed involving a girl called Rose.
When the storm subsides, Carola begins to ask questions but nobody is willing to talk. Nobody wants to tell what happened to Rose, but Carola becomes obsessed with finding out the truth.

Will Rose finally get justice? If you love mystery and suspense, with an added romance bonus, this new novel by an Amazon bestselling author will keep you turning the pages all night long.

CP: I really loved this book, it was a great mystery that pulled you in right from the start and kept you hooked throughout. It had great characters and an interesting historical storyline that connected to present day. It was one of those books that I enjoyed so much that I suffered with book loss once I had finished reading it. I’m looking forward to reading more by Helga Zeiner.


Summer Freeman returns to the waterside village of Willowbeck to rescue the Canal Boat Café, her late mother’s picturesque narrowboat, which has run into choppy waters. A family friend, Valerie, has been trying to keep things afloat, but the coffee machine is jammed, the cake offerings are paltry, and not all of the locals want to see the café succeed.
Help comes from the boat next door, in the shape of handsome wildlife photographer, Mason and his naughty Border Terrier, who are showing more than a passing interest in Summer and her adorable Bichon Frise, Latte. But is Mason being honest about himself? Or does he have something to hide?
As her life and the community of Willowbeck begin to entwine, Summer finds herself setting sail on a new adventure. Will the anchor of a steady life on land be too strong, or can Summer learn to cut loose and embrace life afloat?

CP: This book is available as one book, or as four separate novellas that make up a four book series. I live by a canal and the books appealed to me because of that. It’s an easy going story with relatable characters and heavily features life living on or by a canal, which is an interesting subject to read about. It's a nice cosy book/series to read.


Kelsey Porter returns to NYC with her world turned upside down. Her brother has betrayed her, her boyfriend is missing, and she’s left with a mysterious manuscript no one can decipher. It’s not until she goes searching for the elusive legend of Bigfoot at a Buddhist Monastery in Alaska that she finds herself, yet again, thrust into situations that are seemingly beyond her control. Why are children suddenly missing across the Pacific Northwest? Where is Desmond? Are these mysterious creatures in the woods really Yetis? It’s these questions she pursues and they bring her full circle back to Buddhist spiritual mysteries, and this time it’s not her life that hangs in the balance, but the lives of an entire civilization.

CP: My regulars will know how much I love the Kelsey Porter series and I was so excited when book three was released this year. It didn’t disappoint and it was great to catch up with Kelsey and the other regular characters and see what happened next for them. This is definitely another book that I recommend.


Seven days have passed since Naples real estate agent Megan MacKenna has heard from her twin sister, Madeline, who was vacationing on the beautiful, Caribbean island of St. Croix. Though authorities are not convinced there is a case to solve, Megan knows with all of her heart something happened to Maddy. When Megan receives a direct warning to leave the island or end up like her sister, she turns to the only person who has taken her seriously since she arrived, Gabe, a breakfast cook at a local diner. 

Undercover DEA agent, Gabriel Walker has been building his cover for months, waiting for the opportunity to work his way into the infamous Torrez crime ring. When Megan shows up asking questions and Gabe realizes her twin’s disappearance might be linked to the Torrez men, he has to convince her to go back to Florida before she becomes their next victim. 

The closer Megan gets to the truth, the more Gabe begins to suspect he is missing a huge piece of the puzzle. And someone is closing in on Megan…

CP: I was a huge fan of Sarah’s YA Harmony Run series and so I was interested to read Last Vacation, a crime/thriller. It was a fast paced read that kept me engaged, that I couldn’t put down. The characters were great and the descriptions of the setting St. Croix was fantastic. If you like this genre then it’s a great book to read. 



Curl up with this gorgeously romantic tale and let the glistening snow and the roaring fires of Stardust Lake Hotel get you in the festive spirit this Christmas. 

Piper Chesterfield lives a glamorous life travelling the world and reviewing the finest hotels. She calls nowhere home, she works alone and that’s how she likes it. For long ago Piper decided that to protect her heart she should lock it away. 

So when Piper’s next assignment brings her to the newly opened Stardust Lake Hotel for the festive season, the last person she expects to face is Gabe Whitaker, the man who broke her heart so completely she could never love again.

But Piper isn’t the only one who has been frozen in time by heartbreak. Gabe hasn’t forgotten the golden-eyed girl who disappeared from his world without a trace. 

Now fate has reunited them on Juniper island, can the magic of Christmas heal old wounds? And can this enchanting town be the one place Piper can finally call home?

CP: We finish up with a great Christmas book. You all know how much I love my Christmas books, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It has all the elements for a great Christmas book, snow, Christmas themes, ice sculptures, a great setting all wrapped up in nice romantic storyline. It all makes for perfect Christmas reading. 



I hope you all had a great 2016. Here’s looking forward to a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and have 2017. Happy reading and the bog will be back soon with more great author interviews!

Thursday 17 November 2016

The Boy Who Hugs Trees by Dougie McHale


Everyone has secrets but some can change your world forever.
Emily has a secret; 30 years ago the choices she made changed her world forever. And now, it resonates in the present, threatening to reveal its truth.
When Georgia removes her son, Dylan, from a prominent Edinburgh school, she relocates to the family home on the Greek island of Corfu. The discovery of her late mother’s diary immerses Georgia in her parent's troubled marriage, a story of love and tragedy.

Adam’s life has become predictable, something is missing, and it has to change. When he answers an advert to home teach a boy with autism, he hopes his life will take on a new direction and meaning. But he hasn’t bargained on falling in love.

Can Georgia and Adam continue to resist the attraction that draws them closer?
Nothing will prepare Georgia for the diaries final revelation which will force her to question everything she knew about her mother and everything she knows about herself.

The Boy Who Hugs Trees is an intimate, compelling and intensely moving love story that unfolds and reveals the profound impact of impossible choices.       


Q: Welcome back to the Fossend Publishing blog Dougie.  Can you give the readers a brief overview of your book, The Boy Who Hugs Trees.
A: It’s a pleasure and thank you for having me Chrissie. The Boy Who Hugs Trees is my second novel and like the first it is set in Greece, but this time Corfu. It flits from two time lines, the early 1970’s and 2008.
Georgia is a woman of substance, who lives in Stockbridge, Edinburgh with her property developer husband, Stephen. They have a son, Dylan, who attends a private school in Edinburgh. Dylan has autism, he is bright and likes to learn, but school is not a happy place for him.
Georgia decides to remove Dylan from the school and home tutor him. The family has a house in Corfu. It belonged to Georgia’s parents and passed to her upon their deaths. Georgia is convinced that Dylan will benefit from spending some time there. She sets about the task of employing a tutor. At the same time, Stephen’s business interests have taken him to Majorca, Spain, where he will spend several months on and off. The proposed move to Corfu intensifies the cracks that have been festering in their marriage, and as tensions rise, their relationship is tested when Georgia hires a male tutor.
Adam is a university lecturer, specializing in autism. His life has become unbearably predictable and when he applies to an advert to tutor a boy with autism on the island of Corfu, he hopes his life will take on a new direction and meaning. But he hasn’t bargained on falling in love.
The discovery of Georgia’s late mother’s diary immerses Georgia in her parent's troubled marriage, a story of love and tragedy that feels very familiar to her own. Within the diary there is a secret her mother kept for thirty years and with each page Georgia reads it will soon resonate in the present and threaten to reveal its truth.
As life at the house in Corfu takes on routine and meaning and Adam blends into the lives of Georgia and Dylan, he finds his feelings for Georgia grow with each day, but unsure of how Georgia feels he tries to suppress them. Stephen visits when he can, but each time he does his intolerance of having another man live with his family has devastating effects for them all. 
Can Georgia and Adam continue to resist the attraction that draws them closer?
Nothing will prepare Georgia for the diaries final revelation which will force her to question everything she knew about her mother and everything she knows about herself.

The Boy Who Hugs Trees is an intimate, compelling and intensely moving love story that unfolds and reveals the profound impact of impossible choices.       

Q: What inspired you to write The Boy Who Hugs Trees?
A: I wanted to write about a search for happiness and this is what the two main characters try to achieve. It’s a journey into the human heart that exposes the beauty and frailty of what it means to be human, to love, to hate, and to discover that the choices people make in the past can have devastating outcomes in the future.  

Q: Can you tell readers why you chose to highlight Autism in The Boy Who Hugs Trees?
A: There is that saying, you should write about what you know. As well as having a son who has autism, I am a children’s learning disability nurse with a postgraduate diploma in autism and I work with families who have children and young people with autism. I am also part of a team that diagnoses children and young people for autism. I didn’t want to portray the stereotypical image of autism that is often in the media. I wanted to show that people who have autism are individuals with their own personalities and characteristics who are not defined just by autism alone. So it was important to try and get over how someone with autism may experience the world around them, but equally Dylan, who is the young boy in the novel, has the same wants, and needs as every other person his age.      

Q: Like your first book The Homecoming, The Boy Who Hugs Trees is set Greece. What made you choose to write about Greece again?
A: Although my books are standalone novels, they have a common theme, and that is they are mostly set in Greece and in particular, the Ionian Islands and that was a conscious choice I made right at the start when I was writing my first novel. I had the idea of writing a trilogy, but I didn’t want to be restricted to the same characters or story lines so the concept of making the books set on the same group of islands was formed. I haven’t marketed the novels as a trilogy, but in my head they are. I should call them ‘The Ionian Trilogy.’ 

Q: Did writing The Boy Who Hugs Trees involve any research?
A: It did actually. Although I have been to Corfu, when it came to writing about the island I still had to research about the capital, Corfu Town and the island in general. Google is a lifesaver. During the novel, Georgia’s husband, Stephen, gets involved in drugs trafficking so I had to make myself familiar with the drugs trade in Greece, Spain, and the Balkans. Scary stuff. Also, as part of the novel is set in the early 1970’s I needed to make that period in the novel as authentic as possible so I researched that time period in Corfu as well. 

Q: What do you enjoy the most about writing?
A: I love the creative process. I get a lot of satisfaction from writing words that become sentences, paragraphs and finally chapters that have the potential to connect with the reader by conjuring images within their minds eye with the possibility to evoke potent emotions, laughter, sadness, empathy etc.  I like to observe human behavior and mannerisms. I often listen to how people speak and watch the gestures they use to communicate with one another. It informs my writing and characterization. I love the feeling I get when I’m satisfied with a piece I’ve just written.
To know that people are actually reading my books, meeting the characters, and hopefully emotionally responding to them and their story is quite humbling actually.

Q: What do you dislike the most about writing?
A: I don’t dislike anything about writing, how can I dislike something I love?   

Q: Tell the readers something interesting about yourself that others may not know.
A: My favourite classical instrument is the Cello.

Q: What’s next for Dougie McHale? 
A: Another book. A few years ago I saw a painting by an artist called Lena Sotskova. I knew that one day I would write a book with that painting as its inspiration. I have ideas forming in my head. I know it will have two time lines, one in the early 1900’s and modern day. Of course, it will be set in Greece on an Ionian island, but I’m not sure which one. The story will lead me to the particular island.  Since it takes me about a year from start to finish, it won’t be published until late 2017. 


Quick fire round
Beach or countryside – Both
EBook or paperback – Paperback
Classic or modern – Mostly classic
Notebook and pen or computer A bit of both really
Sun or Snow – Sun 


About the author












In a past life Dougie has been a dockyard worker, student, musician and song writer, playing in several bands, performing live and recording music. He has a degree in Learning Disability nursing and a post graduate diploma in autism. Dougie lives in Dunfermline, Fife, with his wife, teenage daughter, older son and hyper active golden retriever. He is interested in identifying with a physical place and the feeling of belonging therefore Edinburgh and especially Greece are prominent in his writing.  Dougie has written two novels, inspired by a love of all things Greek, her islands, people, landscapes, sea, light and ambience all of which are important themes and symbols in his writing.

To learn more about Dougie McHale go to his website or follow him on facebook.  

Sunday 6 November 2016

What happened to Rose by Helga Zeiner


Book Description

A mystery so shocking it needs to stay hidden

Carola’s life is perfect – or so it seems. Her husband, her friends, her staff don’t see the emptiness of a loveless existence. Every day is the same, until the day when she has enough. Without warning she leaves her home country of Germany to start a new life in the Canadian wilderness. 
But she is not equipped to handle the hardships of a lonely existence in a remote cabin. A five-day snowstorm brings her close to her breaking point. Searching for means to survive, she discovers the written confession of the previous cabin owner who wants to clear his conscience by admitting to a terrible sin he committed involving a girl called Rose.
When the storm subsides, Carola begins to ask questions but nobody is willing to talk. Nobody wants to tell what happened to Rose, but Carola becomes obsessed with finding out the truth.

Will Rose finally get justice? If you love mystery and suspense, with an added romance bonus, this new novel by an Amazon bestselling author will keep you turning the pages all night long.


Q: Welcome to the Fossend Publishing Blog Helga.  Can you give the readers a brief overview of your Book, What Happened to Rose.
A: Hello, and thank you for inviting me to this interview. My new novel is an intense mystery about a little girl called Rose stolen from her family and place into a new home deep in the Canadian wilderness. I don’t want to explain too much – the nature of a mystery is to keep things hidden as long as possible, right? 

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and when your interest in writing began.
A: The day I read my first book – I was about nine, and my dad gave me the 80 volume collection of a German writer called Karl May – I fell in love with books, and with the idea of storytelling. Soon after, I began to experiment with words. My poor family suffered through exhausting times of having to listen to my literary trials and errors.

Q: What prompted you to write What Happened to Rose?
A: Believe it or not, but I had a vision of the incident of Rose’s disappearance while I walked along the shore of a picturesque lake in the Rocky Mountains. I saw it so clearly, I researched later on in newspapers and historic archives if such a crime actually happened. I found no reference, but like my protagonist Carola, I became obsessed with finding out Rose’s fate.

Q: What challenges did you face when writing What Happened to Rose?  
A: To have the story so close and so clear in my mind became a bit overpowering. All my books have part of my life woven into the storyline, but none are as ‘autobiographic’ as Rose’s story. My challenge was to separate fiction from fact when I had to leave the computer and come back into this world.

Q: Do you have any specific writing routines?  
A: Before I start, I count myself down from ten to zero. Then I imagine a door opening to my very private writing palace. I enter it, close the door, and voila – I’m in the zone.

Q: What is the best thing about writing?
A: Being in the zone.

Q: What is the worst thing about writing?
A: Having to leave the zone.

Q: Do you do a lot of research for your books?  If so how important is research for you?
A: Research is a major part of all my books. I research as much as possible in advance, usually locations, historic dates etc. I travel to all the places I write about. But while writing, my story often takes me to a place or date I’m not very familiar with, so I need to research as I write along.

Q: Do you read?  If so what type of books do you read? 
A: A lot. I love psychological thrillers, like Gone Girl.

Q: Do you have a favorite author?  If so, who and why?
A: I still love Stephen King.

Q: Tell the readers something interesting about yourself that others may not know.
A: I did a skydiving course in a British military camp in Netheravon. Three weeks, being trained and jumping with the finest soldiers, some of them holding world records in skydiving. I loved it.

Q:  What’s next for Helga Zeiner?
A: Going into the editing stage of my next book, called ‘The Shadow Master’ … and building a new home for us. A cottage even deeper in the woods than our current home.

Quick fire round
Sweet or savoury – vanilla ice cream sweet
Beach or countryside – countryside, but with a lake
EBook or paperback - EBook
Classic or modern - Mixed
Sun or Snow – snow in the sun

About the Author

















Helga Zeiner is a German born Canadian author. She left her home town Augsburg at age eighteen to explore the world. In the following fourteen years she has lived and worked in Australia and Asia, writing in her spare time.
Several of her thrilling novels have been on the Amazon bestseller list and enjoy an enthusiastic fan base. 
She now lives with her husband on a country estate in the wilderness of British Columbia, devoting all her time to writing.
Helga Zeiner has published five novels in German and two in English. She is currently writing her third English thriller
To learn more about Helga visit her website or follow her on facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and goodreads.

Thursday 3 November 2016

Awaiting Bliss by Elle Henry


Q: Welcome to the Fossend Publishing blog Elle. Can you give the readers a brief overview of your book, Awaiting Bliss.
A: The novel Awaiting Bliss is all about finding your inner happiness. Letting go of any drama in your life by living your best life and becoming your best self. The main character Allison Jacobs has endured many trying times in her romantic life. An atypical people pleaser—Allison realises she will never find that unexpected happiness until she becomes one in her own skin. For once she decides to forgo proper etiquette and live life.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself as an author.
A: Surprisingly, I’m very aloof and introverted. I may even come off as shy in some social settings. On the exterior I’m well put together, however, on the inside I’m a ball of nerves. A bit of a dork—I love anything Victorian. An avid bibliophile, I can spend hours in the day reading. It’s the best part of being an editor. I get to read get stories!

Q: What prompted you to write Awaiting Bliss, which is contemporary romance?
A: Awaiting Bliss is actually the very first manuscript I’ve ever drafted. The story itself is almost five years old. Allison was my very first character creation, and like many writers I was very protective of her story. I did introduce her in Pieces of Me; however, I wasn’t ready to tell her complete story yet. I needed to grow some more as a writer. 

Q: Did you face any challenges when writing it?  
A: The sexual content was out of my comfort zone as a writer. I wanted a challenge with this novel. It’s very steamy and adult without being raunchy. At the end of the day the story is romantic and tasteful. 

Q: What type of writer are you. Are you a plotter or Pantser? 
A: A little bit of both now. In the beginning, I would definitely say I was a pantser. I would grab a pen or my MacBook and let inspiration find me. Now, I see that having an outline is very important when it comes to the flow of a story. I don’t necessarily plot every scene, but I do have an idea of what the chapters will look like. Best of both worlds!

Q: Do you have any specific writing routines?  
A: Yes, I ALWAYS write in pyjamas! I don’t why but it has become tradition. Every since the first book, I’ve written in pyjamas it’s sorta of a good luck thing for me. Also, I need my Twinings Earl Grey tea. 

Q: Writing can be hard work, what do you do to relax, or when you need to step away from the computer for a bit? 
A: Manicures and pedicures are a must in my life. I like going to get pampered every couple of weeks—leaving all my real world problems; behind even if it’s own for a couple of hours

Q: What is the best thing about writing?
A: Going on the journey with your characters. You maybe the author; however, the characters drive the story. Awaiting Bliss started in a very different direction. I’m glad these characters forced me outside of my comfort zone. 

Q: What is the worst thing about writing? 
A: Editing and Revision. Never edit your work, it’s the best advice I can give. 

Q: What’s next for Elle Henry?
A: I’m planning on completing book two Awaiting Desire due out Valentine’s day and The Beautiful Ones, the follow up to More Than Words. 

Quick fire round
Sweet or savoury - Sweet
Beach or countryside - Beach
EBook or paperback - Paperback
Classic or modern - Classic
Sun or Snow - Snow

About the Author

























Elle Henry is an Amazon bestselling author, her works include two Poetry and Story Collections: Pieces of Me and Epiphany, novels More Than Words and Awaiting Bliss Anthologies Nightmarish Eve and Black, Blue and Purple Pain. Her education includes BA and MA in English and Creative Writing. Aside from her writing, she is a blogger for Hype Orlando “Candidly Elle”. She’s an Editor and writing consultant for self-publishing writers through her company Tres Chic Edits. Elle credits her inspiration from some of her favorite authors such as the Bronte sisters, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Daphne Du Maurier, Sylvia Plath and Stephen King. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading and visiting museums. Originally from Orlando, Elle now lives with her family in Pennsylvania.  


To learn more about Elle visit her website, or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Goodreads

Tuesday 25 October 2016

Overcast Sunset: A Brynn Bancroft Mystery


Book Description
Brynn Bancroft’s enjoyment at running her former husband’s winery is overcast by a rash of troubling burglaries and her inability to reconnect with her ex. When she receives an urgent phone call from an old college friend, she welcomes the interruption. Unfortunately, her friend’s business activities intrude on her routine. Then her ex-husband threatens her marriage hopes when he considers selling the winery. When the burglaries escalate, a sense of foreboding plagues her, hinting at trouble to come.

Q: Welcome back to the Fossend Publishing blog Joyce.  Can you give the readers a brief overview of your book, Overcast Sunset: A Brynn Bancroft Mystery.
A: Overcast Sunset is the third Brynn Bancroft mystery—a standalone with repeat characters. Brynn has left her job as chief financial officer of a Silicon Valley biotech firm to run her ex-husband’s winery. Unfortunately her enjoyment of her new life is overcast by a series of burglaries and her inability to reconnect with her ex-husband. When she receives an urgent phone call from a college friend, she welcomes the interruption. However, the burglaries escalate and her ex-husband threatens her marriage hopes when he considers selling the winery. 

Overcast Sunset will be released November 10, 2016.

Q: Can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself, and when your interest in writing began.
A: I headed corporate communications at several biotech and high-tech companies in California's Silicon Valley for more than 25 years—a career that required a considerable amount of writing marketing materials, including by-lined articles. I became interested in writing fiction following a layoff in 2008. My late husband remarked that I should write mysteries—since I read enough of them. It seemed like a good idea, especially when I encountered the ease of publishing offered by e-books and Amazon.

I uncovered an interesting murder mystery in the news on which to base my first mystery and have turned to real crimes to plot all of my historical and current mysteries – although they are definitely fictionalized. 

Today I live with my cat and collection of cow statuary in Southern California, and enjoy exploring and writing about the growing wine region in the Ramona Valley near San Diego, in addition to writing mysteries.

Q: Overcast Sunset: A Brynn Bancroft Mystery, is the third book in The Brynn Bancroft Mystery series. What is it about Brynn as a character that made you want to write more than one book about her?
A: Brynn started out as an unlikeable character but because of her association with my initial heroine she participated in the early mysteries as a sub-character. The more I got to know her, the more interested I became in following her progress toward becoming an engaging character interested in more than making money. So when I finished the three Jillian Hillcrest mysteries, I turned to Brynn with enthusiasm. She developed into an able sleuth and an engrossing character—someone we can root for. 

Q: Did you face any challenges when writing Overcast Sunset: A Brynn Bancroft Mystery?  
A: Crimes in wine country tend to be complex, such as, ponzi schemes of selling off high-end bottles multiple times; or investment in futures that never happen. To turn them into suspenseful mysteries was challenging. But the thriller occurs with the actions of the villains as the sleuth/hero tries to solve the crime. I enjoyed creating my villains and they helped make their crimes compelling.

Q: I have enjoyed reading about Brynn Bancroft and Jillian Hillcrest in their respective series.  Are you planning any more series that will feature these characters?
A: Although Jillian and Brynn might pop up in future books, they will not be featured sleuths. I plan to move on to a new location with a character that I will spin out of the Brynn Bancroft books – Emily Lazzaro. She is the daughter of the winemaker at Brynn’s winery and lives in the wine country in Ramona, Calif, near San Diego. Therefore we will continue to see wine as a part of the next mysteries, but we will move to southern California to explore a new setting.

Q: Do you have any specific writing routines?  
A: When I am writing, as opposed to researching or marketing, I set a goal of 3,000 to 6,000 words a day and do not stop until I’ve reached a first draft or rewritten the second, third, or fourth. I typically set aside writing time and do not allow interruptions – smile! Sometimes it even works. I write the 3,000 to 6,000 words even if the writing is bad. Occasionally, my rewriting of poorly-written first drafts turns into my best prose. 

Q: As an author, what is the best thing about writing?
A: I love writing. It’s fulfilling to create a sentence, paragraph, page and turn it into a story. I enjoy exploring how my villain can best tantalize my heroine; and I like creating those flaws in my heroes that allow the villain to exploit them. And as a lover of mysteries I am enthusiastic about figuring out the puzzle and dropping little hints to lead and red herrings to mislead the reader. I even have fun rewriting the story to address my editors’ red pen markings.

Q: As an author, what is worst thing about writing?
A: As a writer of mysteries, I find endings the most challenging. I tend to want to wrap everything up in Agatha Christie style, with Hercule Poirot gathering everyone in the conservatory and explaining who did it and how. I have explored various ways to pull the strings of a mystery together and most recently solve it a clue at a time, some of the solving leading to other puzzles, so that over a few chapters we know the solution.

Q: Writing can be hard work, what do you do to relax, or when you need to step away from the computer for a bit? 
A: I am fortunate in that I’m retired and have the days to write. Therefore, I usually stop writing between 5:00 and 6:00 o’clock and enjoy reading, watching TV, or going out to dinner or a play. The break helps me prepare for the next day’s writing. If I do need to work at night due to a deadline, I take a break of at least a half hour of exercise. It really helps stimulate me if I get away from writing if only for a half hour.

Q: Do you do a lot of research for your books?  If so, how important is research for you?
A: I research both my current and historical mysteries. For my current-day mysteries, I search for information about the crime on which I’m basing my plot; police procedural and jurisdictions; background information, such as winemaking; setting; and information on relevant criminals

My historical mysteries require much more in-depth research. In current-day mysteries I know how my protagonist communicates by cell phone, travels to her nearby town, and conducts queries on the internet. In my historical mysteries, I have to learn all of the background information, such as the existence and use of telephones; travel by trolley or horse and buggy; and pouring through newspaper archives to uncover information. The historical setting frequently plays a role in creating the mystery.

I love doing research, particularly historical research. Figuring out how people lived in a different time adds another dimension to my writing pleasure.

Q: What type of writer are you. Are you a plotter or Pantser? Do you work in a dedicated space? Do you need silence or listen to music?
A: First, I am one of those people who needs silence when I write. When music is playing, I want to listen to it and it slows me down. 
I do tend to work in the same place – on my favorite chair with my laptop. Sometimes moving to a different place will help me move on. 

For my current mysteries, I choose the crime around which I build the plot. Then I create biographies for the main characters, followed by a clear beginning and ending concept. Then I start to write and let the ideas come to my fingers.

For my historical mysteries, I’m inclined to do much more of an outline due to the need to understand the background of the time period in which the book is based. 

Q:  What’s next for Joyce Strand?
A: My next book will promote Emily Lazzaro to head sleuth. She will uncover a mystery in the town of Ramona, Calif. in the Ramona Valley wine country near San Diego. I plan to publish the book in November 2017.


Quick fire round
Sweet or savoury - Savoury, but I do enjoy sweet almost as much.
Beach or countryside - Beach.
EBook or paperback - I love the convenience and ease of purchase of e-books.
Classic or modern - Definitely modern.
Sun or Snow - How about cloudy!


About the author


Joyce T. Strand is the author of who-done-it contemporary and historical mysteries set in California. All of her published seven novels are inspired by actual events and/or real people, although they are definitely fictionalized.

Strand headed corporate communications at several biotech and high-tech companies in California's Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. Unlike her protagonist Jillian Hillcrest, however, she did not encounter murder in her career. Strand lives with her cat and collection of cow statuary in Southern California, and enjoys exploring and writing about the growing wine region in the Ramona Valley near San Diego. 

To learn more about Joyce T. Strand go to her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads 

Wednesday 12 October 2016

Dee Palmer
2016 Summer Indie Book Award Winner



Q: Welcome to the Fossend Publishing blog Dee, and congratulations on your recent award wins in the Erotica category in the Summer Indie Book Awards. Second and third place, you must be so happy! 
A:Thank you...I am over the moon. I was more than a little blown away by how my readers embraced the competition and really seemed to push my books. 

Q: Can you give the readers a brief overview of the books that were nominated. 

A: This is the first book but can be read as a standalone. It’s a sexy story with a super hot rich alpha and a strong yet skeptical female that is just trying to get by...there is a good deal of suspense, and of course smoking hot sex scenes. 

A:The characters in this story first appear in The Choices Trilogy but here Sam and Jason have their very own tale. This is a little darker and dirtier and is edge of the seat suspense thrown in. 

Q: What inspired you to write Erotica? 
A: Well, firstly I think mine is vanilla with spice...contemporary romance but because of the graphic scenes they do come under the erotica category and I’m ok with that. I read this genre mostly and I love writing it. I write about real relationships and sex is very much central to many relationships...if only it played out like some of the scenes ... sigh ;) 

Q: Do you face any challenges when writing in this genre? 
A: Mostly just promotion...with the over 18 nature of content advertising and visibility is hard. Also people assume its just porn...which oh my god...I can’t even go there...shakes head and walks away. 

Q: Knowing that this particular genre can sometimes be a sensitive subject, what would you say to someone who has never read it before? 
A: I will say its a romance but I’m not going to lie it has filthy sex scenes in it...simple. 

Q: What do you like the most about being a writer? 
A: That this is something for me...just me. It’s flexible and I’ve made some amazing friends through it. 

Q: What do you like the least about being a writer? 
A: Crippling insecurity. 

Q: If you couldn’t write what else would you do? 
A: Paint...I used to love art but writing is less messy. 

Q: Do you read? If so what type of books do you read? 
A: I read all the time, mostly dark erotic romance, erotic romance maybe some paranormal 

Q: Do you have a favourite author? If so, who and why? 
A: Tiffany Reisz because her Original Sinners series rocked my world. 

Q: What’s next for Dee Palmer? Will you be writing more books, and if so can you give us an idea of what they will be about? 
A: I have Disgraceful Book2 in the Disgrace Trilogy coming out in November, Grace the 3rd book in January and a standalone...oh my word this book will knock your socks off it’s so hot...in March..title still in progress but I’m super excited about it :)

Quick fire round
Sweet or savoury - sweet
Beach or countryside - countryside
Ebook or paperback - ebook
Cream tea or fish and chips - both
Classic or modern - modern
Sun or snow - snow 


About the Author

















Dee Palmer hates talking about herself in the third person so I won't. My husband had my iPod engraved one Christmas with 'sing like no-one's listening' and I know my family actually wish they weren't listening because I am, in fact, tone deaf but it doesn't stop me and this gentle support has enabled me to fullfill a dream. This has been a truly brilliant experience. It has undoubtedly been made possible by my incredibly supportive family. I know this is very much another acknowledgment bit but I know I wouldn't be writing even this single paragraph if it wasn't for them so this is about who I am, I am because they let me be.

To learn more about Dee Palmer visit her website, where you can also sign up to her newsletter. Or you can follow her on facebook or twitter.