Category Archives: Suspense

Deathblow

by Joan Sween

DeathblowAn artist... and a cop.
A lady banker... and a cop.
A union strike leader... and a cop.

Riverbend has a serial killer who murders and then always returns to the crime scene to kill a cop. Despite strong warnings to be on the alert, uniformed police officers continue to be cut down with a bullet to the back of the head from close range. The Encore Killer has left only two clues--a high-heeled shoe print and a faint hint of perfume. Detectives Lobo Stangler and Wiley Middleton are on a full press search for someone who appears harmless but has the conscience of a killer. The investigation finally kicks into high gear, however, when a group of homeless people play at profiling, with surprising results.

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About the Author

For 11 years Joan has written humor columns for Minnesota’s state-wide antiques newspaper, The Old Times. Her books, Nice Girls Don’t Bite, Deathblow, and Dealer’s Choice can be found on Amazon.com. Some of her 20 plays can be found at Eldridge Plays and Musicals. She is currently seeking a theatre that will produce her latest play, The First Woman, which deals with the defense of Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the U.S. Government for her participation in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.

Nice Girls Don’t Bite

by Joan Sween

NiceWhen "Transylvania Nasty" collides with "Minnesota Nice" the outcome is hilarious. Erleen and Louise, antiques dealers from the land of Garrison Keillor, come back from a buying trip to Romania to discover they got more than they bargained for. "We can't be vampires! There's no such thing as vampires!" "I absolutely refuse to go all crazy and look mean and bite people!" "How are we supposed to put on makeup if we can't see ourselves in mirrors?" After the first shock, they begin to cope like sensible down-to-earth Minnesotans, vowing to lead normal lives, never reveal what they are, and never ever to bite anyone. Then they stumble onto a bank robbery, a murder, and a kidnapping. Attempting to free their kidnapped friends, they confront a Norwegian crime lord whose Colombian partners decide they are witches—"Brujas! Brujas! But after putting ineffectual bullets through the ladies, the Colombians change their minds—"Vampiro!" Reluctantly, Erleen and Louise realize they must behave like "real" vampires in order to put a stop to an international drug ring. Which they do—but without biting anyone.

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About the Author

For 11 years Joan has written humor columns for Minnesota’s state-wide antiques newspaper, The Old Times. Her books, Nice Girls Don’t Bite, Deathblow, and Dealer’s Choice can be found on Amazon.com. Some of her 20 plays can be found at Eldridge Plays and Musicals. She is currently seeking a theatre that will produce her latest play, The First Woman, which deals with the defense of Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the U.S. Government for her participation in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.

The Caldarian Conflict

by Mike Kalmbach

TheWill appeal to fans of Brandon Sanderson, George RR Martin, and R A Salvatore.

A corrupt government. Enraged pirates.
One monk caught in the middle of The Caldarian Conflict.

Admiral Cain finds an elegant solution to Caldaria's piracy problem: lure pirate ships to decoy merchant vessels stuffed with explosives instead of treasure. The suicidal captains are military men with fatal illnesses. The unsuspecting crews are poor men enticed from the gutters of Caldaria with the promise of handsome wages and free meals. Cain considers it a dual service--after all, he's protecting the merchants and sweeping the streets clean of vagrants.

There are only two problems: if the peasants find out, they'll revolt. If the King finds out, he'll have Cain's head. Accordingly, anyone with too much knowledge must die.

Brother Mendell, a devout follower of Lord Justice, is caught in the crossfire when he seeks retribution for an unfairly executed prisoner. After discovering the first few layers of Admiral Cain's plan, Mendell realizes that even a monk must carefully navigate through these dangerous waters. Mendell soon finds himself pursued by Admiral Cain's merciless assistant, Krell, who suspects that the monk might ruin their ambitious plan and uncover their mysterious backer--and will gladly kill the monk to keep him silent.

Mendell must unravel the mystery before he, too, becomes a casualty of The Caldarian Conflict.

Awards

  • Special honor: Featured book in over 60 Dunn Bros Coffee stores for the summer and fall of 2013
  • Award: Reviewer's choice, Digital Book Today

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About the Author

Mike Kalmbach grew up in a forest near Lake Michigan. Spending his summers chasing wizards and fighting battles with evil ogres, Mike has always had a creative mind. He'll often share stories from his past, and some of them are even true.

After time dragged him from childhood, Mike moved into freelance editing, helping other authors improve dozens of stories. During the daylight hours, he writes software to help with genetics research. He leads the Rochester MN Writing group and often speaks on topics from writing and editing to engineering and robotics.

Luckily, Mike now has two sons, so he has plenty of excuses to set down the pen and play. He lives in Minnesota where he, his family, and a band of pirates can still be found battling ogres, dust bunnies, and even the occasional dragon.