Phyllis Entis's Blog - Posts Tagged "mystery"
Damien Dickens Newsletter - July 2015
Phyllis Entis, author and Indie publisher of THE GREEN PEARL CAPER: A DAMIEN DICKENS MYSTERY, was interviewed on May 29th by Omnimystery News. Here is an excerpt from the interview, which can be read in its entirety at Omnimystery News.
Omnimystery News:
Introduce us to your new series character, Damien Dickens.
Phyllis Entis:
I picture Damien Dickens as a hybrid of Kinsey Millhone and Guy Noir (from A Prairie Home Companion), with a bit of Humphrey Bogart thrown in. He has had to struggle to succeed, both academically and professionally. He torpedoed a promising career with the Atlantic City Police Department by blowing the whistle on a fellow cop. As the story opens, the Dickens Detective Agency is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Although he tries to project a tough exterior, he cares deeply about his clients and his friends, and blames himself for the death of his client. Millie Hewitt, Damien's secretary, is easily dismissed as an empty-headed blond, based on appearances, but is a bright, resourceful woman whose good qualities reveal themselves as the story progresses. I loved watching their relationship evolve through the manuscript. I knew from the very beginning how I wanted their story to end (at least until the next book in the series), but getting there was 90% of the fun.
News
Twice nominated for goodread.com’s Mysteries & Crime Thrillers Book of the Month, THE GREEN PEARL CAPER finished in 5th place in the June polling, and in 4th place in July, trailing New York Times best-selling author Stephen King. THE GREEN PEARL CAPER continues to receive excellent reader reviews, and has earned a 4.79/5.0 rating on goodreads.com.
Add THE WHITE RUSSIAN CAPER to your holiday wish list. The sequel to THE GREEN PEARL CAPER is in the works and is targeted for release late this year.
Where To Find Damien Dickens
THE GREEN PEARL CAPER is available in both Kindle ebook format and as a paperback at your neighborhood Amazon eStore in the USA, Canada and around the world.
Have a question or comment for the author? Send it to phyllisentis@gmail.com.
To remove your name from the e-mail distribution list, reply to this newsletter with an “unsubscribe” message.
Omnimystery News:
Introduce us to your new series character, Damien Dickens.
Phyllis Entis:
I picture Damien Dickens as a hybrid of Kinsey Millhone and Guy Noir (from A Prairie Home Companion), with a bit of Humphrey Bogart thrown in. He has had to struggle to succeed, both academically and professionally. He torpedoed a promising career with the Atlantic City Police Department by blowing the whistle on a fellow cop. As the story opens, the Dickens Detective Agency is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Although he tries to project a tough exterior, he cares deeply about his clients and his friends, and blames himself for the death of his client. Millie Hewitt, Damien's secretary, is easily dismissed as an empty-headed blond, based on appearances, but is a bright, resourceful woman whose good qualities reveal themselves as the story progresses. I loved watching their relationship evolve through the manuscript. I knew from the very beginning how I wanted their story to end (at least until the next book in the series), but getting there was 90% of the fun.
News
Twice nominated for goodread.com’s Mysteries & Crime Thrillers Book of the Month, THE GREEN PEARL CAPER finished in 5th place in the June polling, and in 4th place in July, trailing New York Times best-selling author Stephen King. THE GREEN PEARL CAPER continues to receive excellent reader reviews, and has earned a 4.79/5.0 rating on goodreads.com.
Add THE WHITE RUSSIAN CAPER to your holiday wish list. The sequel to THE GREEN PEARL CAPER is in the works and is targeted for release late this year.
Where To Find Damien Dickens
THE GREEN PEARL CAPER is available in both Kindle ebook format and as a paperback at your neighborhood Amazon eStore in the USA, Canada and around the world.
Have a question or comment for the author? Send it to phyllisentis@gmail.com.
To remove your name from the e-mail distribution list, reply to this newsletter with an “unsubscribe” message.
Previewing The White Russian Caper
The White Russian Caper: A Damien Dickens MysteryChapter One
I was on my way out the door when the call came in. Millie already had left for the day; I covered the distance to her desk in two long strides and grabbed for the telephone. “Dickens Detective Agency,” I announced.
“Is this Mr. Dickens? Mr. Damien Dickens?”
The voice in my ear was vaguely familiar. “Yes,” I replied. “This is Dickens.”
“Oh, Mr. Dickens,” the soft male voice exhaled. “Thank heavens! I didn’t know who to call; then I remembered your visit last year to my establishment. I require your assistance.”
“Who is this?” I interrupted.
“Why, it’s Stephane.” He paused, waiting for my reaction. “Stephane Major, n’est ce pas? Don’t you remember me?”
I recognized the voice then. It belonged to the General Manager of Boardwalk Hall, the venue of Atlantic City’s crown jewel - The Miss America Pageant. I had met the fussbudgety Mr. Major about six months before, when I was investigating the murder of Celine Sutherland. “Yes,” I acknowledged, though not without some reluctance, “I remember you, Mr. Major.”
“Oh, thank heavens,” I could almost see his hand fluttering against his chest. “Oh, I don’t know what to do. I need your help, Mr. Dickens. About Miss America, n’est ce pas?”
“What about Miss America?”
“She’s missing.” He paused. “You must find her and bring her back.”
THE WHITE RUSSIAN CAPER, the second volume in the Damien Dickens Mysteries series, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It will be released in Kindle format on November 20, 2015.
Damien Dickens Newsletter - October 2015
Amazon.com Countdown Sale
Special offer! THE GREEN PEARL CAPER will be on countdown sale at Amazon.com for one week, beginning October 1st. Take advantage of this opportunity to download the Kindle version of THE GREEN PEARL CAPER for as little as $0.99. Early birds catch the best bargain, as the price increases to $1.99 partway through the week-long sale.THE GREEN PEARL CAPER was selected as a Book of the Month title by the goodreads.com Mysteries & Crime Thrillers discussion group. This soft-boiled detective novel continues to receive excellent reader reviews, with a combined Amazon.com and goodreads.com rating of 4.8/5.0.
What readers are saying about
THE GREEN PEARL CAPER
E.M. on Amazon: “The characters are engaging and well developed and there are many twists and turns in the plot. I was left guessing to the end, and even then had some of it wrong.”
Vera on Facebook: “…this mystery is really, really good.”
Rena on goodreads: “Couldn't put it down. Finished in 2 days.”
Where To Find Damien Dickens
THE GREEN PEARL CAPER is available in both Kindle ebook format and as a paperback at your neighborhood Amazon eStore in the USA, Canada and around the world.
THE WHITE RUSSIAN CAPER, the second novel in the Damien Dickens Mysteries series, will be released in both Kindle ebook format and as a paperback on November 20, 2015. The Kindle edition is available now on Amazon.com at a discounted price of $3.29. Pre-release orders will download automatically to your Kindle device or Kindle app on November 20, 2015.Have a question or comment for the author? Send it to phyllisentis@gmail.com.
Random Musings Of An Indie Author
I learned my alphabets - English and Hebrew - at my grandfather’s knee. My parents read to me (and not only at bedtime), and encouraged me to pick out words. By the time I entered kindergarten, I was able to read. The highlight of my week in third grade was the weekly spelling test. Every Thursday evening, Dad would quiz me on the spelling words from that week’s lesson. Every Friday morning, I would ace the test, and receive a coveted gold star. Five successive gold stars earned me a trip to the principal’s office, where Mr. Stewart would place a special sticker in my workbook, and sign his name under the sticker in bold, black ink.
I had earned two of those special stickers, and was well on my way to a third, when I tripped over the word ‘their,’ spelling it ‘thier.’ I sulked and stormed that entire weekend. How could this be? What about, ’i before e except after c?’ No one had ever told me about exceptions to a rule. I vowed that I would not be caught out again. By the end of the school year, my spelling workbook contained a galaxy of gold stars. But, the gap in the ranks of those special stickers gnawed at me.
To read the complete article, please visit Omnimystery News at http://www.omnimysterynews.com/2015/1...
I had earned two of those special stickers, and was well on my way to a third, when I tripped over the word ‘their,’ spelling it ‘thier.’ I sulked and stormed that entire weekend. How could this be? What about, ’i before e except after c?’ No one had ever told me about exceptions to a rule. I vowed that I would not be caught out again. By the end of the school year, my spelling workbook contained a galaxy of gold stars. But, the gap in the ranks of those special stickers gnawed at me.
To read the complete article, please visit Omnimystery News at http://www.omnimysterynews.com/2015/1...
Celebrating a completed manuscript
It's taken about a year, but the manuscript for my third novel, THE CHOCOLATE LABRADOODLE CAPER is in the hands of my beta-readers. Rather than sitting and waiting anxiously for feedback from my loyal critics, I have decided to celebrate by offering an audiobook TWO-FOR-ONE SALE. Here is how it will work:
1. Purchase an audio download of The White Russian Caper: A Damien Dickens Mystery from Amazon, Audible or iTunes.
2. Forward to me the email you receive from their website that confirms your purchase. My email address is "phyllisentis(at)gmail(dot)com"
3. I will give you a free audio download of THE GREEN PEARL CAPER: A DAMIEN DICKENS MYSTERY.
It's that simple, folks. But, act now, because this offer turns into a pumpkin at the end of Labor Day weekend.
Watch for the release of THE CHOCOLATE LABRADOODLE CAPER in all ebook formats and in paperback during the first half of October. An audiobook edition will follow.
