Follow Friday

If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

Most likely, Harry Potter - but after Voldemort was gone, of course!

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Twelve of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter twelve of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

NOW AVAILABLE!
Holiday Special
Kindle version only 99 cents until January 2
buy link
Kindle - $0.99

other available buy links
PDF - $4.95
Smashwords - $4.99

Coming soon:
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER TWELVE
"I don't have any money"

Did you find any insurance papers?”

“This, here. But it says redeemed on it. What does that mean?”

“I'm not sure. Let me see.”

Joanie handed Teddy a clear plastic envelope filled with neatly folded papers. He removed the paperwork and unfolded it. There were six sheets and he slowly began to flip them over as he read through them. “Oh boy, Joanie. He cashed it in last September.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this policy was worth $7,500, but he cashed it in. He redeemed it. I guess these things are worth some money before you die. He only got $156 for it. So, this policy is worthless. I don't even know why he kept it.”

“He must have needed the money pretty bad. That's sad. So, now what do we do?”

“Geez, Joanie, I don't know. This is all new to me. The one thing I do know is that I have to tell Mrs. Kelly. Dang, I have no idea what a funeral costs. And we're supposed to pay for it. I think I’m getting a knot in my stomach.”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Eleven of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter eleven of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

NOW AVAILABLE
buy links
PDF - $4.95
Smashwords - $4.99

Coming soon:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Father KO's "Trumpet Man"

All things being equal, it seemed fitting that they had all come out to witness a man, obviously under the influence of something besides coffee, demanding to know where Esther was. “Esther? Esther, where you at, honey? C'mon, Esther. Stop fooling around.”

The guy was quite a sight. He was about 6’ 2” and very obese. He had a full beard, long stringy hair and of course, he was wearing a New Year's party hat. In his right hand was a tarnished trumpet. He obviously had some knowledge of the instrument because his left thumb and fingers were wrapped around the valve covers and his right three fingers were on the valve buttons. Scratch was making a futile attempt to reason with him. “C'mon, buddy. This is a funeral home. There’s no Esther here. You have the wrong place. You have to leave.”

Then Scratch put his hand on the man's arm in an attempt to lead him to the door. The man shoved Scratch turning belligerent. “Don't nobody touch me, man. I'll kick your ass.”

He immediately put the horn to his mouth and began to blow, creating a racket that quite possibly could have awoken Pops. Teddy felt a sudden rage swell up, and threw a punch at the guy. The way things had been going it was only fitting that he missed his target and hit Scratch square in his nose. Scratch put his hands to his face as blood started oozing through his fingers. Joanie started screaming. “He's bleeding! Stop it! Stop it!”

Father Sullivan hurried over and the man threw a punch at him, hitting him in the chest. Father staggered backwards into the wall. Joanie kept yelling while Dancer and Beeker tried to join the fray. The man was pushing everyone this way and that, swatting them away as if they were mosquitoes. His elbow connected with Beeker’s eye. Losing his balance, Beeker grabbed Dancer's shirt as they both fell down. It was a scene of utter chaos.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Tom Mach - An Innocent Murdered - Author Interview

My thanks to Tom Mach for stopping by City Girl Who Loves to Read for an author interview during the blog tour for his book, An Innocent Murdered.

Author Interview

1. Why did you choose this setting?
I chose two locations for An Innocent Murdered. I created a fictitious Kansas town called Rock Meadow where a good part of the action occurs. But I also have a few chapters in my book where the plot continues in Chicago. I chose a Kansas town because I live in Lawrence, Kansas, and I chose Chicago because that’s where I was born and raised.

2. How is it a fundamental part of your overall theme?
Well, the Kansas town I selected is fairly laid back, people are friendly and the pace is slower. So when a priest in An Innocent Murdered is accused of being a child molester, it rocks the entire town. People in Rock Meadow are conservative, go to church of Sunday, and are family-oriented. It was a perfect setting for the explosive reaction folks had when they learned that someone had murdered the accused priest. Chicago also plays an important part of my story because the detective finds an important clue in an abandoned building which solves a cold case murder of a young girl—a murder that happened 25 years ago and which in a strange way helps the detective solve the case of the slain priest. The reader is presented with a contrast between a small town’s horror over an accused priest and a large city’s apparent apathy about the murder of a child.

3. How challenging was it to write about?
Setting should be considered as an additional character in a novel. In my case, I had a couple of major challenges. One was in not trying to identify the fictitious town of Rock Meadow with Lawrence. I had to make Rock Meadow a composite of several towns, with the progressive feel of Topeka, the country feel of Dodge City, and the progressive feel of Lawrence. Another challenge was for me to show Chicago as it really is while hiding the identity of the actual street where the detective uncovered shocking evidence in an abandoned building. I had in mind the actual street where I envisioned this happened while hiding from the reader its true location.

4. How did you develop your setting as you wrote your book?
There are several settings in An Innocent Murdered. One, of course, was the interior of the police department. With the help of television crime episodes and the help of a real detective who shared some of his experiences with me, I was able to create a believable setting. Another was an elegant house—which reminded me of a house I once visited, although the detective’s girlfriend had a ceiling mirror in her bedroom (I had to imagine that one!) The rectory was another scene, and I have seen several rectories during my life, so it was not that difficult to imagine, although I had to create in my mind where things were located—the fireplace, the bookcase, table, chair, and the door leading to the street—among other items. The fireplace was interesting because as the log snapped and crackled while the priest was confronted with his loneliness and heartache, a deepening sense of dread permeated the air. That was the same evening he was murdered. The mysterious painting in the abandoned cellar in Chicago was another shocking experience, but I don’t want to give any detail of that here because it might give away too much of my novel.

5. How do you transport them there through your writing?
In transporting my characters to different locations, I frequently indicate the location prior to the start of a new chapter. Sometimes I indicate where a particular character will be going by mentioning the character’s intention in the previous chapter. In An Innocent Murdered, police invade a motel where the prime suspect is hiding, a detective enters a gym where a teenage boy under the detective’s charge is shooting baskets, or that detective drives with a friend down the Stevenson Expressway in Chicago to locate an abandoned building. I have characters walking, stomping, running, driving a car, or flying in a commercial jet. The reader always has a sense of where the characters are going and how they are getting there.

6. How do you introduce them to an area they may not be familiar with?
I give the reader enough description so she knows what the characters is actually seeing. I might mention unusual things like the kind of sofa the detective’s girlfriend has, how far the wet bar is from the living room, what the outside of a friend’s house looks like, or what street the detective has to get to in order to get to the crime scene where the murder occurred.

7. How do you go about making the setting come alive for the reader?
As I’ve mentioned earlier, the setting should be looked upon as another character in the novel. I do this by not only giving a physical description of the location—without getting carried away—but I also insinuate the setting by thoughts of a character or the dialogue between two characters. For instance, I have a scene where Detective Matt Gunnison is having a dinner with a friend named Susan. At first there is a physical description of the setting, but the dialogue picks up the rest to fill the scene in…

Matt and Susan shared a good view of Reagan Lake at the Equinox restaurant. The overhead lights were a light blue, almost coinciding with the color of the lake itself just out the large window. The soft strains of the instrumental music for “I Only Have Eyes For You” filtered through to the patrons relaxing at dinner. The moon beamed its bright yellow face at them.

Matt observes a sailboat about to dock at the pier. “Matt,” Susan said, “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to go sailing somewhere. Perhaps disappear for a few days.”

“You’ve never been sailing? Ever?”

The conversation later switches gears…

“I was going to take you to a restaurant where they have more of a Western flavor, but you said you wanted to try the Equinox.”

Susan tilted her head. “I enjoy country and western music, of course. My father used to accompany the Honky Tonk Oakies as a guitar accompanist. I guess that type of music’s in my blood.”

We further learn that this is a high class restaurant and we learn something about her character as well. She’s not as comfortable here as she would be in a country and western bar.

When the scene much later switches to Matt and his friend Susan searching an abandoned cellar in Chicago. The reader knows this to be a creepy place…

A scream rang out from the floor below. The cellar! Matt grabbed his lantern and ran across the room, searching quickly for the entrance to the cellar. His heart raced, and he removed his gun from his shoulder holster.

“Susan!” he shouted, kicking open the cellar door. The damp and musty smell of the cellar assaulted his nostrils. His gun was poised as he raced down the steps. “Are you all right?”

The yellow beam from a flashlight played against the brick walls. Matt pointed his gun against the source of the light. “Susan!” he screamed. “What’s going on?”

About the Book
An Innocent Murdered

Book Details:
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Murder Mystery
Format: ebook
Price: $0.99

Buy Links: Kindle

Blurb:
Father O'Fallon has been murdered, and police officer Jacinta Perez is arrested and charged. Detective Matt Gunnison, however, is not convinced and with the help of Susan, an ex-nun, he discovers a fascinating link between the priest's death and the death of a child 25 years ago. Will Matt be able to solve both murders?

Excerpt:

“What’s critically important here,” Matt said, “is the time this event happened. Mr. Zylinski, you said you knew it was about 9:13 pm when this occurred. How would you know that?”

“It’s all in the deposition, sir,” the man replied. “I checked my watch just before I got to my car. I had to be somewhere at ten and didn’t want to be late.”

The attorney leaned forward, a smile on her face. “I am sure you learned by now, Mr. Gunnison, that the bank clock was correct after all. During the day, that clock was not set back an hour for daylight savings time, but it was corrected by the bank manager at 6:00 that evening. So it really was 9:13 after all.”

Matt was a bit miffed at her know-it-all attitude. “Thank you for pointing that out to me, counselor.”

About the Author
Tom Mach

Tom Mach wrote two successful historical novels, Sissy! and All Parts Together, both of which have won rave reviews and were listed among the 150 best Kansas books in 2011. Sissy! won the J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award while All Parts Together was a viable entrant for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Award. He also wrote a collection of short stories entitled Stories To Enjoy which received positive reviews. Tom’s other novels include: An Innocent Murdered, Advent, and Homer the Roamer.

His poetry collection, The Uni Verse, won the Nelson Poetry Book Award. In addition to several awards for his poetry, Writer’s Digest awarded him ninth place in a field of 3,000 entrants. He also has a popular blog for writers of both prose and verse.

Connect With Tom:
Web Site
Facebook
Twitter
Blog

About the Tour

Goddess Fish Promotions

GIVEAWAY:

A $50 Amazon gift card to the commenter that Tom feels leaves the best comment. He will make his selection at the end of his tour. Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Tour Participants:

November 29: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
December 1: The Plot Thickens
December 2: The Character Connection
December 5: Kathryn Lively - Award Winning Mystery Author
December 6: Enjoying the Unique Flavors of Life
December 7: Sandra's Blog
December 13: Bea's Book Nook
December 15: Sarah Ballance
December 20: Rogue's Angels
December 21: Beyond Romance
December 23: Realmantic Moments

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Ten of the young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches" - NOW AVAILABLE

A sneak peek of chapter ten of The Priest and the Peaches - a young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

NOW AVAILABLE
buy links
PDF - $4.95
Smashwords - $4.99

Coming soon:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER TEN
L-Y-N

Father read the gospel in Latin at the altar and then walked to the pulpit looking out at everyone as he read it in English. When he had finished, he signaled for everyone to sit down. Looking out at the congregation, he began his sermon. “Two days ago, a dear friend of mine and a dear friend to many of you unexpectedly passed away. His five kids are sitting right here this morning in the first pew and many of you know them also. Velemer Peach, known to his kids as Pops and to his friends as Yimey, left his mark in the world simply because he did his best to help anyone who happened to come his way. Yimey had a little acronym he always used. I'm sure some of you know it. It was L-Y-N, and it stood for love your neighbor. Instead of saying hello or goodbye, Yimey would always say, ‘Hey Joe or Jan or whoever, L-Y-N.’ It was a beautiful thing. So, on this New Year's Day of 1966, in honor of Yimey, maybe we can truly start something new. I want you all to turn to each other right now, shake hands and say L-Y-N to each other.”

Somewhat taken aback by this unprecedented directive from the priest in the pulpit, the people in the pews began to squirm. It was amazing how people packed tightly together could still maintain their own personal space. Father Sullivan had asked them to step outside of it. It was unnerving. Father continued to encourage them, “C'mon folks, just shake hands with your neighbor and say L-Y-N. I promise, no one will bite you.”

There was muffled laughter that circulated throughout the church and then the people began saying L-Y-N to each other. When they were all facing front again and the rumble of the quiet L-Y-Ns had subsided, Father Sullivan simply said, “And there you have it. The golden rule as explained by Yimey. I hope and pray that you all remember it. God bless you all. Happy New Year and L-Y-N.”

As Father left the pulpit and walked back to the altar, a delayed reaction kicked in. Teddy started to quietly sob. Joanie followed and like dominoes, so did Dancer and Beeker. Joey did not know what was going on. People in the pews near them began to wipe their eyes and soon most of the congregation was doing the same. Father Sullivan's New Year's Day homily about Pops had taken two minutes and it was memorable for its brevity. It was beautiful in its simplicity. Years later, those who were there that morning still remembered it.

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Teaser Tuesday - SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Nine of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter nine of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER NINE
"What's a chastity belt?"

Teddy and Sarah sat next to each other on the sofa. Teddy pulled the big afghan up tucking under their necks. The only light in the apartment came from the almost dead Christmas tree. Peace and tranquility settled upon them—a welcome reprieve from a day full of chaos and confusion. After a few quiet moments, Sarah said, “I am so glad I stayed with you.”

Teddy lifted his arm and put it around her. Pulling her close he said, “Me too. Are you, okay? I mean with the not going home thing.”

“No, not really. I know she'll try to lay all this guilt on me when I get home tomorrow and…oh, just let's forget it for now. Okay? Nothing has changed anyway. I'm used to it. Just hold me. Okay?”

The sudden quiet coupled with the dim lighting quickly joined forces with their fatigue and vulnerability creating the perfect moment—and just like that they were kissing each other. Slowly, softly, their lips moved back and forth, their youthful passion springing to life. Then an unexpected voice doused the erupting flames. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Surprised, they both turned their heads to see Beeker standing next to the sofa looking down at them. “Damn it, Beeker. What are you doing up?” Teddy asked, “You're supposed to be in bed.”

“I can't sleep. I'm not tired.”

Sarah straightened up and ran her hands down over the sides of her tussled hair. “Okay, Beeker, come sit between me and Teddy. It's okay.”

She pulled the afghan aside and Beeker plopped between them. Sarah tossed the blanket over him tucking it under his chin. “So, what were you doing?” he asked again.

“Nothing, Beeker, nothing,” Teddy said. “We were just giving each other a kiss. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, Teddy. It's okay with me.” Beeker than giggled a bit and leaned his head next to Sarah's arm. Within a minute, he was fast asleep.

Sarah said quietly, “I think it might be a good thing he came in here.”

Teddy sighed, “I know, I know. Problem is, I don't think I cared. I didn’t want to stop. When I start kissing you and holding you…well…something happens and…you know what I mean.”

“Maybe my mother’s right. We could get into trouble. We have to avoid these kind of situations.”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Eight of the upcoming young adult ebook "The Priest and the Peaches"

A sneak peek of chapter eight of The Priest and the Peaches - an upcoming young adult ebook release from Tribute Books by Larry Peterson

Look for the ebook on January 1, 2012:
Kindle ($2.99)
Nook ($4.95)
iPad ($4.99)

CHAPTER EIGHT
The Floating Leg

As the leg kept floating, people began pushing back, creating an impromptu path leading to the casket. When the people closest to Teddy and Joanie separated, the mystery of the floating leg was revealed. Holding Pops' artificial leg high above his head was Dancer. His face was beet red from the cold. His shirt was torn from the breast pocket down to his belt buckle. He had a nasty scrape above his left eye, and the fingers on his right hand were covered in blood that had managed to spread to his shirt and trousers. He was quite a horrific sight. He was also quite angry as he said, “Look what I found out back. Can you believe it? It was out back against the dumpster. Good thing I went out there. Pops was supposed to be wearing this. They threw it away. They threw it in the garbage.”

“Oh my God,” Joanie said. “What happened to you? You're bleeding everywhere. What do you mean…out by the dumpster? I can't believe this. Oh my God, Teddy. Pops' leg was in the garbage.”

Teddy was stunned. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed and insecure. Up until this very moment, he had been trying to be the man in charge, and he thought he was wearing his new crown quite well. Looking at his bloodied brother with torn clothes and a bloody hand wrapped around his father's wooden leg was a bit much to mentally process. What am I supposed to do? I don't know what to do. Everyone expects me to take care of this. Pops could. The thoughts stopped and his mind went blank. An unnerving sense of loneliness embraced him. Teddy started to shake.

Joanie looked at her brother and his demeanor frightened her. “Teddy, what's wrong with you?”
He did not respond, so she raised her voice, “Teddy, do you hear me? Dancer has Pops' leg. TEDDY! Did you HEAR ME?”

www.ThePriestAndThePeaches.com

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.