Archer Hay's Blog

Well folks, our 7th book was just released on July 7th! So...7th book, 7th month, on the 7th day. 7-7-7. Do I go to a casino now? Do I get to make a wish? I feel like that's a sign of good things to come. The book is "Dive Bar Detective no.3" This is the third book of the Dive Bar Detective series, and it will close it out. So we have two complete series now available. Our first series, The Badge Of series (which has 4 books), and Dive Bar Detective (which has 3 books).
Now it's time to start a new project, and I feel it's going to be another good one. We've got our wheels churnin' and our thinking caps on, and have already started our WIP.
As of right now, the book will be a stand-alone with the potential of becoming a series, and currently the title will be, "Semper Fi Spy." You guessed it; it has a military theme to it! Should be a fun read for anyone who has or has had a loved one in the military. We've got some great ideas for Semper Fi Spy, and we have several more ideas for other different stand-alone books to work on after completion. So stay tuned, check out our website, register with us for free to receive updates, we'll keep you updated on the activity in the Archer Hay world! Thanks to everyone for your support! Keep reading, keep laughing, and drop us a 5 star review every now and then! Over and out!

Dive Bar Detective no. 2 was released on Amazon, Friday, August 30th! It is $2.99 for the Ebook (free for Kindle Unlimited), and $9.99 for the paperback version. The Dive Bar Detective "Olive or Twist" mystery series is rolling right along, as we are beginning to work on Dive Bar Detective no.3 now! Summer has slowed down our writing somewhat, but now that summer is almost over, we'll be picking up speed once again. We've got some ideas for a new series once Dive Bar is over, so stay tuned, you won't want to miss it! You keep reading and we'll keep writing!

Greetings! It's been a minute since our last post, so here is the latest in the Archer Hay universe. On International Beer Day (Which was Aug. 2nd), book 1 from our newest series was released! The book is called, "Dive Bar Detective no.1 An 'Olive or Twist' mystery." It is a humorous cozy mystery about a bartender, Brandy Alexander, her sister, her dog, and her loveable friends and customers as they try to catch a clever thief who specializes in electronic pickpocketing. The story is modern, funny, exciting, fast paced, and takes place in the city of West Alles, WI. You're going to fall in love with this series, so be sure to hop on board, because Book 2 is set to be released on Aug. 30th! Thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a review! Peace!

The Whodunnit Summit has officially ended. We enjoyed doing it, and were glad to help out our fellow authors. We hope that it was received well and that people were able to discover new authors to follow, and new books to read. The summit may have even helped give a breath of life into your own writing! Keep writing, keep reading, and keep a positive attitude! We wish everyone the best, and we thank you for your support! Here's the end of the Summit shout out to all of our outstanding featured authors!
1. Grace Geyer: visit her at www.gracegeyer.com Must Read..."Precious Pearls."
2. B.T. Alive: visit him at www.billalive.com Must Read..."The Punctuality Machine."
3. Morgan K. Tanner: visit him at www.morganktanner.com Must Read..."An Army of Skin."
4. Katherine H. Brown: visit her at www.katherinebrownbooks.com Must Read..."Rest, Relax, Run for Your Life."
5. Bella Emy & Allyson Drake: visit them at www.alyssadrakenovels.com (and) www.bellaemy.com Must Read..."Virtually Yours."
6. W.B. Welch: visit her at www.wbwelch.com (and) www.readwbwelch.com Must Read..."Blood Drops."
7. Nicole Weisensee Egan: visit her at www.nicoleweisenseeegan.com Must Read...."Chasing Cosby."
8. Jenna St. James: visit her at www.jennastjames.com Must Read..."Picture Perfect Murder."
9. Philip Rivera visit him on Facebook at facebook.com/suburbanluchador Must Read..."Suburban Luchador."

The Whodunnit Summit Author #7

Minivans, the Great Equalizers of Life




There is an ancient Japanese proverb that states, The nail that stands out gets hammered down. The suburbs also have a way of dealing with deviance: The Minivan Hammer.

A while back, I was sitting atop my suburban perch at the local Dairy Queen, observing people as they droned around the shopping strip like busy ants on a hot summer day. I spied a guy in his 20's with one of those super-cool, avant-garde haircuts that push the limits of Riverview, Florida (my suburb of choice) fashion. It resembled a tidal wave, frozen in time, with a smooth fade that blended down to his scalp. I could have sworn I saw a touch of sparkle when his head was at the right angle with the sun. He sported an electric-blue bow tie and a slim-fit, almost see-through, white collared, cotton shirt. His black, crumpled pants seemed to be coated in wax, perhaps to preserve them in the event of a sudden flood. They were covered in zippers and crisscrossed stitches and tapered down at the ankles. It was as if he stepped off the Milan runway and onto Maple Lane. I imagined his name was Francois or Atticus.

"Man...that guy's unstoppable! He's probably looking to buy this whole shopping center." I pondered as I scraped the bottom of my Dairy Queen Blizzard cup.

Then the great Equalizer of Life stepped in: The Minivan. Francois Atticus stepped off the sidewalk and started heading to his vehicle. But he didn't walk toward a Maserati or a Bentley...no, he walked toward a 2014 Honda Odyssey Minivan. And suddenly, this cutting-edge, fresh-from-Milan monsieur was no longer a runway man, but an everyday man who probably gives grooming tips to middle-class kids in his suburban neighborhood. Yes, the minivan makes the foolish things of the world wise (like small-screen DVD players), and takes the excessively cool things and makes them average.

So I lifted my empty Blizzard Cup to the man formerly known as Francois or Atticus, and waved at him as he backed out of his parking spot.

"Goodbye, Hank!" I yelled.
Go make your cul-de-sac the most fashionable corner in Riverview.



Social media links

Suburbanluchador.com

Instagram.com/suburban_luchador

Facebook.com/suburbanluchador



Product links

https://www.amazon.com/Suburban-Lucha...

The Whodunnit Summit Author #6

I didn’t know what she wanted when she asked me to go to the park with her, I just knew something felt different. Breakfast was normal; we both ate Cheerios and a banana. The rest of the morning seemed normal too— I dangled my legs off the front porch and wrote in my journal while she rode her bike back and forth in front of the house. So when she rode up sweaty and smiling and asked me to take her to the park, I said I would.
She ran inside. I followed behind her to change my shoes. “Mom, I’m taking Hensley to the park,” I yelled upstairs.
“Okay. I’m finishing up my hair. You guys be back before dark.”
Hensley ran into the kitchen, then shuffled through the drawers. She tucked something in her pocket, then ran to the fridge for two bottles of water, then ran to my side.
“You ready?” I forced my heels into the back of each shoe, then retied my ponytail.
She nodded.
“Let’s do it then.” After locking the door behind us, I adjusted my hair tie again. It was too tight and was going to give me a headache. Five more days, just five days until I could get my license. I didn’t have a car, but Mom said I would be able to use hers from time to time, especially when she needed me to do things for Hensley.
The air outside was stifling. I chugged half of my water down, not realizing how thirsty I already was. We crossed the street because that side had better tree coverage.
“Did you put on any sunscreen today?”
Hensley shook her head.
“Me neither.” I looked at my shoulder, wondering how red it would be later.
The park was full. Bodies filled every swing, kids waited at both slides for their turn, children sat huddled together in packs building sand castles or burying toys, and parents filled every ‘adult’ style seat available. I looked around for a shady place to sit and write while Hensley eyed the jungle gym.
“I’m going to the swings. Bye.”
“But the swings are all…” She was already halfway across the huge sand box. Of course the swings were all full. Everything was full. She would just have to wait her turn. I resumed my hunt for the perfect resting place. It was when I was finally settled with my journal open that I head the scream.
I froze, lost my breath. Mom would kill me if anything happened to Hensley. I’m not supposed to let her out of my sight even for a second. I couldn’t see her for the crowd. More people screamed. Upon standing, my journal fell from my lap. The pen fell into the soft grass, soundless. I elbowed my way through the shoving parents, the nosey kids. It was when I saw the red sand that I really panicked.
Hensley was standing there, right beside it. Blood was all over her face, her dress. I grabbed her shoulders, smeared the redness, looked for the wound.
“Where are you hurt? Tell me. Someone call 9-1-1.”
“They’ve been called. She’s not hurt, it’s not her,” a woman screamed at me. “She stabbed her.”
I froze then, took a second to check myself. Did she say someone stabbed someone? Deep breath. I took stock of the scene. There was a woman on her side a few feet behind me. She was holding her stomach. Looking closer, I could see her intestines bulging behind her hands— she was trying almost successfully to hold them inside. There was also a blood coated knife a couple of feet from us. Then I saw the knife’s handle. It was Mom’s.
“She wouldn’t make her daughter get off the swing.”
I looked back to Hensley. “You said what?”
“She’s here every time we come to the park, and she always swings all day. I tried to tell her mom last time, but she said she can do whatever she wants, that it’s a public park. So I figure I can do whatever I want too.”
I didn’t know what to say. My grasp was still firm on her shoulders when we first heard the sirens.
The End

Copyright WB Welch – All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Hello, I am WB Welch. Thank you for reading my shorty short as part of the Whodunnit Summit. This is a brand-new story. I hope you enjoyed it. If you don’t know me, I am the author of Blood Drops, a recently released horror anthology. If you like horror, and if you liked the story you just read, you’ll probably enjoy Blood Drops.
Please connect with me on social media. I am on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and I would love to get to know you. I also have a blog where you can find more stories like this one, readwbwelch.com. Thank you again for reading my post and for taking advantage of the Whodunnit Summit hosted by Archer Hay.

Wishing you all the best,
WB

www.wbwelch.com
www.readwbwelch.com
www.twitter.com/authorwbwelch
www.instagram.com/wbwelch
www.facebook.com/authorwbwelch

BIO
WB Welch often focuses on the darker side of human emotions, striving to write honest fiction with texture.
She has always loved learning and new experiences. She worked for her college paper, at a law firm, in the family dental business…she rented a photo studio for a year, started a natural beauty and skin care line, was a certified personal trainer, and she recently completed a full-stack web development program. Thankfully, during all that time, WB found her way back to fiction and is very happy to call herself a writer.
WB is the author of Blood Drops. Look for her story "Baby Muncher" in the 16th edition of Thrice Fiction. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University.

The Whodunnit Summit Author #5

Who used to hide under their covers with a flashlight to read?
GUILTY!
When I was young, my genre of choice was mysteries; my bookshelves were stocked with Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew (now they’re stocked with JD Robb and Sue Grafton). I always tried to figure out who did it before the culprit was revealed; it became a game, me against the author. The first thing I always did was try to weed out the “red herrings”, those clues (or people) who purposely mislead the reader (that really is the best part of the mystery, detecting the truth between the lies). As a mystery lover, it was only natural that I write them as well.
First, I’d like to say that writing mysteries is hard. It’s not just about writing a story; it involves creating motive, laying clues (both real and false), planning a timeline, and managing the cast of characters (which is my favorite part) as they move through the story…and pulling that off with a co-writer
As Bella and I plotted out Virtually Yours, we started with the cast; killer, heroine, and then red herring (the most important part of the story–misdirection). Now you must forgive Bella and me our little joke, we gave a hint to the reader so they would know which character was the red herring. HINT: It’s the name.
I hesitate to reveal too much, as I don’t want to ruin the story. So, good luck to all of you and let us know if you figure out who did it (or if you discover who the “red herring” is).

The Whodunnit Summit Author #4

Let’s begin with a little about me. I’m Katherine Brown and I live in Texas. I hate winter (even our mild ones) and I am addicted to books. I love words, the power of them, their infinite possibilities, reading them and writing them.
For me, a road trip first means a trip to the library to stock up on as many books as they will let me check out to read in the car and on vacation (good news – my daughter has a library card now too – that equals twice as many books!). Nancy Drew was a favorite series of mine, as were the Redwall books by Brian Jacques.
You came here to find new books though, not talk about old favorites. I am beyond excited to tell you about my brand-new YA Cozy Mystery series. Rest, Relax, Run for Your Life is book 1 of the Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery Series. Piper Rivers and Samantha Lowe, best friends and business partners, own and run the Ooey Gooey Bakery in Seashell Bay. This book is a mix of all of my favorite things: delicious baked goods, the beach, a spa (okay so I’ve only had like one spa experience – still it made an impression), and a mystery.
Piper Rivers is not quite a tomboy, but she isn’t the fashionista her friend Sam is. Their interaction is fun and funny, picking at each other as friends do. They are also willing to do whatever it takes for each other, which Sam demonstrates when she is ready to defend Piper from a strange gift, with a stiletto if necessary.
Another favorite character of readers so far, catching me by surprise, is Gladys. Gladys is much older than these two friends in their twenties, but she has spunk and a great sense of humor. Gladys wasn’t part of the contest that won Piper and Sam the spa trip, but she joins them on the adventure just the same. She’s looking for connection and fun. In one interview, the question was posed whether or not I would consider doing a spin-off book just of Gladys! I’m thinking about it…maybe more readers will have suggestions for that.
I received a huge compliment when, in a review, Rest, Relax, Run for Your Life was praised as having a YA Nancy Drew or Murder, She Wrote vibe to it. I was grinning so big my face hurt, no joke. To learn that people enjoy something you poured months of time and heart into is a huge reward.
I hope that you find all that you are looking for here at the Whodunnit Summit. I can’t wait to look around and “meet” new authors too! If you decide to check out my book, I love and appreciate feedback and reviews.

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. - Book 2 is on the way!

To purchase on Apple Kobo Barnes & Noble and More click here https://books2read.com/u/3JyjzKFor Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Rest-Relax-Goo...

The Whodunnit Summit Author #3
Once upon a time, when the sky bled black and the oceans filled with the bloody entrails of the victims of The Great Old Ones, I entered a writing competition.
The first round was to write a 100 word story. This sounded hard, and actually, it was hard. When you really think about it, 100 words isn't that much. And turning those 100 words into a story? Ahem, well how do you do that exactly?
Well I wasn't to be deterred. My love is horror, which helped as this was a horror writing competition. I wondered whether extreme gore with chunks of slimy and necrotic body parts would be the way to go, trying to induce violent vomiting to the reader. But no, it needed to be a story, albeit a 'blink-and-you-miss-it' one.
Finally, after a good old think about what to write about, an idea came. And it stuck. A man who has skinned a human body and built a cute little shrine with the leftovers. That sounded cool. But was it enough?
I focused my attention on the actual skin, made the protagonist treat it like a prized piece of expensive clothing and had him admiring its complexity and beauty. The story ended with the skin speaking to him. I wanted a cliffhanger ending, although trying to wrap everything up neatly in 100 words was always going to be tricky anyway.
After a few drafts and edits, which still took ages even though it was only a hundred bloody words, I was proud of the finished article. I couldn't wait to send it off.
So what happened to this submission? Was I lauded by the organisers on my superb conjuring of carnage, celebrated for my shocking skin story?
No. In fact it was quite the opposite, simply an impersonal, 'It's not for us' rejection.
So I proceeded to find their address, bought some skin removing tools, rented a kill room.... I jest. I maybe muttered something under my breath as I read the email, but I was cool about it, kind of.
But in hindsight, I'm glad. Come on, I was never going to win the thing, getting through the first round was all I really hoped for.
So after burning my laptop and dancing around the flames as my collection of un-submitted stories were consumed by the infernal fires, I still couldn't get that story, that premise out of my mind.
What if I turned those 100 words into more, a short story, or even....... a novella? 'What madness is this?' I hear you cry. Could I do it? Would it work? Should I try?
Long story short, I did. Flayed humans whose dead skins come to life? That was too good an idea to throw away in the bodybag. I gave my skin-remover a name, and a motivation that led him to these wicked acts.

And so, An Army of Skin was born.

Trevor is murdering prostitutes and skinning them, before constructing their bodies into various art pieces. He's doing all of this in the name of sweet, sweet revenge, though. Revenge against the man he holds responsible for his dear mommy's death. He's trying to frame him for these horrific murders.
But the road to Vengeanceville is plagued with emotion, eventually leading on a detour to Insane Town. And that's pretty much where our anti-hero Trevor ends up.
Is it pretentious for the writer to describe their work as having twists and turns, or is that up to the reader? I'll put it like this then; I tried to add twists and turns and, from the small number of reviews I've had so far, I don't think I did too badly.
This being my debut novella, I was obviously very apprehensive about releasing it to the world. Is it any good? Will people like it? Is it structured properly? Are the characters realistic? Of course, none of those I can answer without bias. I've had a few short stories published in magazines and online, but a full-length opus is a different matter entirely.
But even if I am slated as a talentless hack masquerading as a writer, who cares? I've put a lot of work into this story and I'm immensely proud of what I achieved. So I'm a happy man.
I already have a plan for my writing 'career' in the future. I'm currently sitting on nine short stories, a couple of which have been published a few years ago, but these are the Versions 2.0, if you like. Hopefully this will be released later on this year.
Following that, I hope to release a novel. This one I wrote about three or four years ago. It's been sitting on my computer since then and I'm sure when I go back to it I'll notice many errors, but hopefully these can be rectified by the experienced I've gained since writing it. Unfortunately I don't think this one is that funny. Although maybe the humour wormed its way into that one without me noticing, who knows? It's been a while since I read it.
Many thanks for reading this far and if my insight has whetted your sadistic appetite for horror and gore, then you can always go and check out An Army of Skin for yourself. It's free to read on Kindle Unlimited, how awesome is that?
And finally, my sincere thanks to Jim Archuletta and Kelly Hay for allowing me to share my ramblings with their fantastic readers. I'm reaching an exciting time in my writing 'career' and hope you can come along and join me for the ride. It sure is going to be gore-soaked, but hopefully that doesn't put you off!

The Whodunnit Summit, Author #2

Murder Feels Awful: A Fake Interview With B.T. Alive:

Q: Welcome! I am SO EXCITED to be here today with award-winning funny cozy mystery author, B.T. Alive! Thanks so much for joining me, B.T.!

BTA: My Pleasure! I'm enjoying making you up.

Q: What? Excuse me?!

BTA: Nothing. Sorry.

Q: I thought you said...

BTA: Weren't you going to ask me about my funny cozy series? Starring Mark Falcon, the Empath Detective?

Q: I was! Weird, how did you know? Are YOU an empath? Do you have psychic powers?

BTA: Alas, no. That I know of. Besides, an empath can't read thoughts. That's more telepathy. Sometimes Mark can read thoughts, especially with his trusty sidekick Pete. But mainly he's an empath. He feels people's emotions.

Q: Wow. How does feeling emotions help Mark solve mysteries?

BTA: In theory, he can just interview suspects until the murderer seethes with secret hate, and he feels it. In practice...it's a lot more tricky.

Q: Really? Why?

BTA: Imagine if you couldn't even walk into a restaurant without getting bombarded by everyone's secret feelings. Excitement, fear, rage...backache...mark has to "shield" most of it out just to stay sane. But shielding can miss the vital clue. Plus, feeling emotions is much more ambiguous and mysterious than if he could just read people's thoughts. Mark might feel a wave of rage from a suspect, but he still has to investigate to find out why they felt that way...and why they tried to hide it.

Q: But can't he read Pete's thoughts?

BTA: Sometimes. Much to Pete's dismay.

Q: Ha! But wait...do I have to believe in psychic powers to enjoy these mysteries?

BTA: Not at all. In fact, Mark's pretty skeptical himself. Or wishes he could be. Pete, on the other hand, yearns to believe...He's been working at this New Age gift store and he's like, yoga's great and all, but when do we levitate? When he finds out Mark is an actual, real-life empath it blows his mind.

Q: So empathy isn't common in this world?

BTA: Not at all. Mark has never met another empath...yet. It's all set in this little Virginia town that feels a lot like you'd expect. I love paranormal stories where mysterious power is as plausible as possible...

Q: Why Virginia?

BTA: Because I live in rural Virginia, And I'm super lazy. Also, it's gorgeous out here.

Q: Nice! So, with this series, reviewers are raving over the fast-paced action and the surprise endings-

BTA: Oh, stop...

Q: -how do you write such twisty, exciting plots?

BTA: I try to do my plotting in a roller coaster.

Q: I thought so!

BTA: What? I was kidding-

Q: But they also seem to love the hilarious banter and zany characters. How can readers dive right in to this fantastic new series?

BTA: Get Book 1, "Murder Feels Awful." Right now, it's only 99 cents, as a special gift for this Whodunnit Summit.

Q: Wow! B.T. Alive, you're so nice!

BTA: Well...you too.