Steven Ramirez

Steven Ramirez

July 2021 Highlights and a Scary New Cover

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[July Picnic 2021]

Greetings. Things are quiet on the home front. Which is a good thing, considering the elephant who busted through a Thai woman’s kitchen looking for some grub.

Speaking of this magnificent creature, did you know the elephant is Thailand’s national animal? That’s not all. Back in the day, they were used as war animals. As you can see, I admire elephants.

Book News

[TGITM Ebook Cover (1080x1723)]

Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo

A few months ago, I mentioned that I was putting together a Sarah Greene Mysteries box set containing Books 1–3. That’s on hold for now. In the meantime, I decided to update the cover for The Girl in the Mirror. If this doesn’t get your heart racing, you might already be dead.

Recommended Reading

[The Darkest Flower Cover]

AmazonBarnes & NobleApple BooksGoogle Play

If you enjoy wickedly clever psychological thrillers, I suggest you take a look at The Darkest Flower by Kristin Wright. As I said in my review, Reading this book is the most fun I’ve had in a long time without getting arrested.

Book Description
You’ll never believe the terrible things being said about the perfect president of the PTA.

Attempted murder? Inexplicable accident? Either way, a PTA mom struggled for her life in an elementary school cafeteria, poisoned by a wolfsbane-laced smoothie at the fifth-grade graduation party. Now all eyes are on the accused, the victim, and a woman hired to look deeper.

Ambitious defense attorney and single mother Allison Barton is anxious to escape the shadow of the low-down dog of a marquee partner carrying their renowned Virginia law firm. A win for her high-profile new client will give Allison the career she deserves. And PTA president Kira Grant certainly appears innocent—except for the toxic bloom in her backyard and perhaps a bit of a malicious streak. But no one said the innocent had to be likable—or entirely honest. Besides, with an image as carefully cultivated as her garden, Kira would be insane to risk everything on something as outrageous as the attempted murder of one of her closest friends.

What about those in Kira’s orbit, a sunny suburb of moms behaving badly? What do they really know about Kira? What does Kira know about them? For Allison, the answers are getting darker every day.

Other Books to Enjoy

And here are more suggestions guaranteed to give you thrills and chills.

[Blood Ties] [Neolithica]
[Fear in the Flesh: Survivor] [Aurora Wasteland Lifecycle]

Recommended Viewing

[Prime Suspect Tennison Poster]

When it comes to police procedurals, I’m late to the game with Lynda La Plante’s Prime Suspect. I missed out on the original series starring the incomparable Helen Mirren. But my stupidity has been rewarded. A new prequel is now showing on Amazon Prime. It’s called Prime Suspect: Tennison and takes place in 1970s London. Stefanie Martini is outstanding in the role of Jane Tennison, a young cop trying to learn the ropes in a male-dominated boys club of a police department. Check it out.

TV Show Description. A prequel to the Helen Mirren police drama, and adapted from the Lynda La Plante novel Tennison, the Prime Suspect: Tennison TV show airs on ITV in UK as Prime Suspect: 1973. The series centers on Jane Tennison in the early days of her career.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month, when I enjoy the dog days of summer by howling at the moon. Peace and love.

Book Review—The Darkest Flower

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[The Darkest Flower Cover]

Reading The Darkest Flower is the most fun I’ve had in a long time without getting arrested. Allison Barton has a lot on her plate. Divorced, she does her best to be a good mom, all the while putting up with the narcissistic, condescending head of a successful law firm as he takes every opportunity to criticize her work. He advises her how to dress and tosses out the occasional back-handed compliment. But Allison tolerates the abuse because she dreams of a life outside the firm. And the price of her wish?

Kira Grant.

A woman of beauty and privilege, Kira can kill with a word. Her impromptu insults and pointed observations would bring Cruella de Vil to tears. But just because she’s intolerable and insensitive, does that make her a murderer? We shall see. Whatever the truth, Allison must defend her client in a high-profile case that will set her free. But in doing so, she questions her own motives and, indeed, her very profession.

For me, the best thing about reading this novel was discovering the internal thoughts women have about men, authority figures—and other women. Listening in on Kira’s ravings is like being escorted through hell by Virgil. You might make it back in one piece, but you’ll be left with burn marks.

If you enjoy legal thrillers with shifting loyalties, dark passageways, and razor-sharp humor, I recommend grabbing this outstanding book.

Book Description

You’ll never believe the terrible things being said about the perfect president of the PTA.

Attempted murder? Inexplicable accident? Either way, a PTA mom struggled for her life in an elementary school cafeteria, poisoned by a wolfsbane-laced smoothie at the fifth-grade graduation party. Now all eyes are on the accused, the victim, and a woman hired to look deeper.

Ambitious defense attorney and single mother Allison Barton is anxious to escape the shadow of the low-down dog of a marquee partner carrying their renowned Virginia law firm. A win for her high-profile new client will give Allison the career she deserves. And PTA president Kira Grant certainly appears innocent—except for the toxic bloom in her backyard and perhaps a bit of a malicious streak. But no one said the innocent had to be likable—or entirely honest. Besides, with an image as carefully cultivated as her garden, Kira would be insane to risk everything on something as outrageous as the attempted murder of one of her closest friends.

What about those in Kira’s orbit, a sunny suburb of moms behaving badly? What do they really know about Kira? What does Kira know about them? For Allison, the answers are getting darker every day.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple Books
Google Play

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here. And don’t forget to follow me at BookBub.

June 2021 Highlights and a Crow

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[Summer 2021]

Greetings. Last time, I told you about our new cat, ZuZu. She’s doing well and, like any adorable animal, has won our hearts. Well, a few days ago, we had a visitor—a young crow. He first got my attention when he hopped onto the skylight above my office. Cawing and pecking, he wouldn’t let me work. Then, he hid in our jasmine for the rest of the day.

At first, I thought the poor thing was sick or injured. Taking a friend’s advice, I left him some raw chicken and a bowl of water. Later on, I discovered his parents hovering nearby, cawing frantically. Turns out the little guy can’t fly yet. Anyway, in the afternoon, he crawled under our gate and vanished. He’s still wandering around the complex and should be in the air soon.

[Visiting Crow]

Book News

[BLW Ebook Cover (3D M)]

A lot of you have downloaded Brandon’s Last Words, the prequel to the thriller Faithless. If you want a copy, all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter. Oh, and another piece of news. After years of focusing on fiction, I’ve decided to take up screenwriting again. Currently, I’m adapting this novella. Wish me luck.

Book Description
Brandon Wheegar has just joined Baseborn Identity Research as a security guard. But no one told him how bad things can get when a secretive employer has deep pockets and no conscience. He should’ve quit the night his supervisor went off on him. Now, alphas, murderous mutant test subjects, are loose in the facility. And then there are the hypers, genetically modified superhumans. They lie asleep in specially designed tanks—all except for one. Her name is Jane. A deadly soldier with skills, she’s virtually unkillable. Better not to cross her. Ever. Someone should probably warn Brandon.

Speaking of Faithless, if you’re interested in some behind-the-scenes info on things I discovered while writing the novel, check out the guest post I did for “Self-Publishing Review.â€

Recommended Reading

[The Time Machine Did It Cover]

Recently, I finished The Time Machine Did It by by John Swartzwelder, a television writer. If you like detective novels that are preposterous and hilarious, I suggest you give this one a look. To say the main character, Frank Burly, is slow witted is an understatement. You can read my review here.

Book Description
One of a series of comedy science-fiction novels featuring slow-witted detective Frank Burly. By John Swartzwelder, the writer of 59 episodes of ‘The Simpsons.’

Other Books to Enjoy

If you love thrilling adventure, check out these free books. But hurry. This giveaway ends on June 30,2021.

Shop Now

And here are more suggestions guaranteed to give you thrills and chills.

[The Tens] [Zommunist Invasion Box Set] [Growlers] [Dead Meat]

Recommended Viewing

[Collateral (2004) Poster]

‘Collateral’ is a 2004 thriller directed by Michael Mann. If you haven’t seen it, you can watch it now on Amazon Prime. In my opinion, this is one of Tom Cruise’s finest performances. Here, he plays a hitman named Vincent. The film also stars Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Log Line. A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month, when I celebrate the Fourth by attaching sparklers to my head and running in circles. Peace and love.

Book Review—The Time Machine Did It

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[The Time Machine Did It Cover]

Like the cover says, The Time Machine Did It was written by John Swartzwelder. He was responsible for fifty-nine episodes of the long-running animated series, The Simpsons. As you can imagine, the zaniness in that show has spilled onto the pages of a sort-of detective novel featuring the “slow-witted†Frank Burly.

Slow witted is a vast understatement. Burly makes Springfield’s Chief Wiggum look like Lennie Briscoe. The point is, this detective is a dufus. Time traveling doesn’t help. He’s just as stupid in the past. What’s worse—he doesn’t care. I will say one thing for him, though. He can take a beating. And he does. Often.

If you’re looking for the kinds of twists and turns you’d find in a Raymond Chandler novel, this book isn’t for you. But if you want some laugh-out-loud humor to brighten your day, I’d advise you to check out The Time Machine Did It. And if you need some convincing, I’m happy to give you the old Burly Shove.

You can find this review at Goodreads.

Book Description

One of a series of comedy science-fiction novels featuring slow-witted detective Frank Burly. By John Swartzwelder, the writer of 59 episodes of The Simpsons.

Where to Buy

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here.

May 2021 Highlights and a Kitten

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[2021 Spring Kittens]

Greetings. Okay, there’s a reason I’m showing you kittens. Can you guess? That’s right. The Ramirez family has a new member. Her name is ZuZu, and what a story. I’ll give you the short version.

Six weeks ago, my daughter and her boyfriend rescued a kitten stuck in a bush. She was barely a week old, so her eyes and ears were closed. Her incessant crying got their attention—and good thing. When they walked in the front door, my daughter said, “Don’t be mad.â€

Well, it’s been a long time since we owned a cat. But we welcomed the little thing with open arms. My wife and daughter have been bottle-feeding her, and currently, they’re attempting to transition her to kitten food. So far, no success. We suspect she might be a vegetarian. And here she is at six weeks. Adorable, right?

[ZuZu Six Weeks]

Book News

[Faithless Ebook Cover]

Just a reminder that Faithless is available for preorder at 99 cents. The publication date is May 16. At that time, the price goes up to $4.99. Here are a couple of pull quotes to whet your appetite:

“The mystery of Jane’s death and her subsequent revival is at the dark heart of an unfolding biological experiment that will leave readers reeling, and the final reveal is a shocker.†—The Prairies Book Review

“Raul and Jane’s mutual respect and a desire to protect each other are the book’s emotional backbone. Its action scenes are punctuated by the complications of their soft, sad love.†—Forward Clarion Reviews

Books to Enjoy

[Set You Free Cover]

If you like women’s crime fiction, check out Set You Free by Steven Moore.
[Amazon Buy Button]

Book Description

They thought they ruled the city.

Kayla Stone will bring them to their knees…

In a bid to get away from the violence and trauma of the last few months, Kayla Stone returns to her hometown of Sydney. But she’s barely off the plane when the ghosts of her past fight back.

When she stumbles upon an underground trafficking ring dealing in the sale of children, turning the other cheek is not an option. Kayla’s risked her life on shadowy streets before. This time it’s personal.

This time she’s alone…

Determined to crush these vile criminals once and for all, Kayla will do whatever it takes to save the innocent. How far will she go in the name of justice?

What happens when she finally crosses the line?

Recommended Viewing

[Nomadland Poster]

So, have you seen ‘Nomadland’ yet? This year, it received Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. And the brilliant Frances McDormand won for Best Actress. It’s sad, funny, and sweet and currently showing on Amazon Prime. Check it out.

Log Line. A woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month, when I attempt to sneak off to New York to watch the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Peace and love.

Five Things I Learned from Writing Faithless

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Hey, check out the post I wrote for “Self-Publishing Review.†It’s directed at authors, and I discuss what it was like expanding my Tell Me When I’m Dead universe to include a new character. She makes her appearance in Faithless: A Jane Doe Thriller. Enjoy.

[Faithless Ebook Cover]In 2013, I published the first novel in a new horror thriller series. The book is Tell Me When I’m Dead, and as I wrote it, I hadn’t thought about a sequel. By the time I got to the end, though, I began picturing scenes for the next book. When I finished Book Two, I was well down the path of writing a trilogy.

Overall, the reviews have been positive. By Book Three, I’d had enough of zombies and wrote a supernatural horror series. But I never stopped thinking about the universe I’d created the first time around. After publishing the third supernatural novel, I got to work on a story that takes place in the same universe as Tell Me When I’m Dead—but with a new character. Taking this on created some challenges—the most important being that I had to reacquaint myself with what I’d done previously.

I wanted the new series to begin with events that occurred at the end of the zombie trilogy. My main character, Jane, wakes up from an induced coma at Baseborn Identity Research, a sinister government-funded lab. Dave and his friends (from TMWID) are there, conducting a raid. Expanding the universe in this way was exhilarating. And I learned some valuable lessons along the way.

1. Don’t Assume You Know

As a writer, it’s tempting to think you remember everything about your previous books. Sure, you might recall the names, storyline, and plot twists. But I’ll bet there are details in the settings and locales that are relegated to those obscure corners of your brain where old baseball statistics languish.

Being a card-carrying pantser, I began writing Faithless without referring to the old series at all. It wasn’t until I got absolutely stuck that I went back and reread key chapters. Wow, there was so much I’d missed. And what made things worse was that scenes in the new story take place on the same night—and in the same location—as the other one. The lesson? Always go back and reread what you wrote.

2. Changing Genres Leads to Consequences

Unlike the zombie series, Faithless is pure thriller with an eclectic mix of sci-fi and techno. The main character, Jane, has been genetically altered to heal quickly when injured. So if someone shoots her, she recovers. Moreover, the Marines trained her to be deadly. Though she has a strong sense of right and wrong, make no mistake—she’ll kill to protect herself.

The dynamics of the new novel represent a departure from the other series. The biggest difference is in the main character. In TMWID, Dave Pulaski is a regular guy who must learn to fight when he’s thrown into an impossible situation. And his enemies, aside from corrupt officials, are the zombies—soulless carnivores who go after humans like cannibals at a barbeque. Jane is someone who Dave would kill if given a chance. She’s not “normal†and might even be too dangerous to live.

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