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Friday, September 9, 2016

Secret Lives and Private Eyes by Heather Weidner - Virtual Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Heather Weidner and her new book, “Secret Lives and Private Eyes”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win one (1) Set of 4 Nancy Drew Wine Charms to one lucky winner. Also, come back daily to interact with Heather and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this exciting giveaway!

Please note that this giveaway is only available to US residents.  Sorry INTL – please check out other giveaways on this blog.


Secret Lives and Private Eyes
by Heather Weidner

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GENRE: Mystery

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BLURB:

Business has been slow for Private Investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, but her luck seems to change when a tell-all author hires her to find rock star, Johnny Velvet. Could the singer whose career purportedly ended in a fiery crash almost thirty years ago, still be alive?
And as though sifting through dead ends in a cold case isn’t bad enough, Chaz Wellington Smith, III, a loud-mouthed, strip club owner, also hires Delanie to uncover information about the mayor’s secret life. When the mayor is murdered, Chaz, is the key suspect. Now Delanie must clear his name and figure out why landscaper Tripp Payne, keeps popping up in her other investigation. Can the private investigator find the connection between the two cases before another murder – possibly her own – takes place?

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EXCERPT ONE:

“Hey, do you want another drink?” slurred the man on the barstool next to Delanie Fitzgerald.
           
Delanie leaned in closer. “No, but I’d like to go somewhere and get to know you better. What do you think about that?” she asked, winking at the fifty-something sitting next to her. She tossed her long red curls to one side and tilted her head toward him. She hoped the black dress showed enough cleavage to do the trick.

He smiled. He looked like he was expecting her to kiss him. When she didn’t, he waved to the bartender for the tab.

The man placed two twenties on the bar next to his glass. Delanie slid off the barstool, careful not to cause her micro-dress to creep any higher. Flipping her shiny purse strap over her shoulder, she made her way out through the crowd. Delanie felt his ragged breaths on the back of her neck, huffing and puffing like he’d run three or four laps. He reached out and touched her shoulder, trying to steady himself.

When they arrived at the parking lot, she said, “I’m over there. I’ll follow you. Where to?
           
“I dunno. I’m not from this part of town.”
           
“We could go to your place,” she suggested.

“Uh, no. Too far. It wouldn’t be any fun.”

“Well, I’m all about fun. Okay, where then?” She shivered and wished she had brought a jacket, but it would have ruined the effect.

“Uh, I dunno,” he stammered. “I think they’re some places over near the interstate a couple of blocks from here.”

“Okay. I want somewhere nice with a Jacuzzi.”

“I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

“Neither did I,” she said.

He leered at Delanie, taking in her long legs and short skirt, while fishing through his pockets for his keys.

 “I’m in the beige Corolla down there,” he said.

She climbed in her black Mustang and watched him stagger to his car.

Delanie felt a tinge of guilt for letting him drive drunk, but she needed to get him at a motel. She started the engine. He still hadn’t made it to his car. After turning on the lights and the radio, she kicked off the four-inch heels that pinched her feet and made her calves burn. She threw them in the backseat and settled in to watch what he would do next.

He finally backed out, and Delanie followed behind him until he pulled into a small motel at the entrance ramp to I-95. The sign under the neon vacancy advertised Jacuzzis and free breakfast.

He parked and walked over to her car. Rolling down the window a crack, she waited. He leaned forward but didn’t say anything.

“Why don’t you get us a room?” she asked. “I’ll pull around back and wait for you to get everything ready.”

“Okay,” he smiled again and wandered off in the direction of the office. It was twelve thirty-five according to the radio display.


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GUEST POST:

Mystery Book Fan to Mystery Book Writer: How a Passion Turned into a Career

Thank you so much for letting me visit today. I write mystery novels and short stories. I’ve been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew, and I’ve been writing in some fashion since elementary school.

By day, I’m an IT manager, so I haven’t take the plunge into the full-time writing life yet. My five-to-ten-year plan is to do that as my next phase in life. But for now, it is my second career, and I’m having a lot of fun with writing, marketing, and meeting readers.

When I started writing, I didn't realize how much marketing was required of authors. It has been a rush of activity (especially with all the other things going on at the same time).

I am fortunate to be a part of several very supportive writer groups. They are so generous with their time, advice, and company. I blog with the Lethal Ladies Write, part of Sisters and Crime – Central Virginia. I am also part of Sisters in Crime International and the Guppies. I’ve had two short stories published in the Virginia is for Mysteries series and we’ve done over eighty events and signings since 2014. It’s nice to have a group to sign books and attend writing events with.

The journey to published author took a while. And I have several abandoned manuscripts in desk drawers to prove it. My first published novel was really the third I had written. The path to publication is a learning experience. And my critique group is an amazing resource. While writing and revising for what seemed like the hundredth time, I learned a lot about plot, characters, dialogue, and writing. I rewrote the first chapter of Secret Lives and Private Eyes several times.

My advice to anyone who wants become a writer is to not give up. It is A LOT of work, but it’s worth it. You need to be persistent and to keep working on your craft. Your writing improves by writing and revising.

While it has been a whirlwind of activity over the last few months, it has been tremendous fun. And I look forward to what the fall and winter brings.
   
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AUTHOR BIO:


Heather Weidner’s short stories appear in Virginia is for Mysteries and Virginia is for Mysteries Volume II. Currently, she is President of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, and a member of Guppies and Lethal Ladies Write. Secret Lives and Private Eyes is her debut novel.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
Heather earned her BA in English from Virginia Wesleyan College and her MA in American literature from the University of Richmond. Through the years, she has been a technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager.

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CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

Website and Blog: 
http://www.heatherweidner.com

Amazon Authors Page: 
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ

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AMAZON BUY LINK:



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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Heather Weidner will be awarding one (1) Set of 4 Nancy Drew Wine Charms (US Only Addresses) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.


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