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therealimintobooks · 6 years ago

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Chutes and Ladder: A Silicon Valley Mystery by Marc Jedel #BookTour https://ift.tt/2THXFte

About the Book

Chutes and Ladder: A Silicon Valley Mystery

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series BGM Press (March 12, 2019) Print Length: 195 pages ASIN: B07NFDYZX8

Dead friend. Free fall. Girl Scouts. Can Uncle Marty untangle the mystery before things really get out of control? Juggling a budding relationship, demanding job, and mischievous nieces, Marty Golden struggled to keep his head above water — even before his friend’s death. Trying his best to be a good boyfriend and fun uncle, Marty had his own ideas for the weekend until his cunning sister tricked him again. Convinced his friend’s death was no accident, Marty tries to summon superhero powers but merely manages to bumble along as an amateur sleuth. When Marty’s cousin shows up, she wreaks havoc with his plans and pulls him into yet another mystery. As threats blossom, Marty doubles down now that his family’s involved. Besides, it’s poor manners to let your friend’s death go unsolved. Can Marty figure out what happened before a killer, or his imagination, gets to him? Chutes and Ladder is the second novel in a refreshingly modern mystery series set in Silicon Valley. If you like clever humor and wacky side characters, you’ll love this twisty mystery.

Character Post from Megan Tran, niece of protagonist Marty Golden, in Chutes and Ladder.

Recently I caught up with Megan, the young niece of Marty Golden. Although Marty is the protagonist in my new humorous, cozy mystery book, Chutes and Ladder: A Silicon Valley Mystery, I thought Megan’s perspective might be interesting.

Marc (author): Hi, Megan. Thanks for talking to me.

Megan: [looking at phone] Yup.

Marc (author): What do you want to be when you grow up?

Megan: I keep changing my mind. Before, I wanted to be a race car driver. They can drive their cars as fast as they want and don’t get tickets on the highway like my mom. Last month, I thought I wanted to be a nurse because they help people get better and they can tell visitors what to do. I’m good at telling people what to do.

Marc (author): So, have you changed your mind?

Megan: Yes. [looking up]. Now I want to be a doctor. I saw this woman doctor help some boy on an airplane. That was really cool. And, she got to stand up and walk around even though the flight attendant told me I had to sit down. Doctors get to be in charge. That’s more me.

Marc (author): I understand your Uncle Marty had a crazy week. Have you talked to him?

Megan: Why does everyone want to know about him? He went on a Girl Scout camping trip, found some dead guy, and then rushed around all week trying to figure out what happened. Big deal! Everything is always super crazy for me. Try being a little sister around here, why don’t you? Last week was Halloween and Uncle Marty kept messing up our plans. This Saturday is my birthday party. I can’t decide if I want it to be a Herbie the Love Bug party like ‘Sunshine’, my mom’s old car, or Frankenstein Monsters. My mom’s getting angry that I can’t decide. What do you think?

Marc (author): Oh yeah. Marty mentioned that to me. Happy Birthday. So, how old will you be?

Megan: Did he tell you to ask me that? He doesn’t remember how old I am and he’s always asking me. Ooh, it makes me mad. Uncles should remember how old their nieces are, shouldn’t they?

Marc (author): Yes they should. But your Uncle Marty isn’t all bad, right? Didn’t he get you this new puppy, Buddy?

Megan: [squeals and hugs Buddy] Yes! That was so amazing. I love Buddy. He’s our new Labrador puppy, but he already weighs like sixty pounds. I told Uncle Marty Buddy would be my best friend. [Hugs Buddy]. But, my mom doesn’t always like him. Buddy can be a troublemaker.

Marc (author): What’s he done this time?

Megan: Well, nothing today. That I know of. So far. But last week, he escaped out of his dog crate, jumped on the stove and turned on the gas. The firefighters had to come to the house. Three fire trucks! Buddy was unconscious on the floor. Mom says we’re lucky there wasn’t an explosion. And our neighbor won’t walk near our house now. It’s super funny. She parks her car down the street and she’s sniffing the air when she rushes out of her house.

Marc (author): Have you read my new book, Chutes and Ladder? It’s about your uncle and you’re even in it.

Megan: [looks up from her phone] What?

Marc (author): My books. Have you read them?

Megan: Nah, I like to watch YouTube videos. Your covers are cool, though. Maybe I’ll read them later. Is it about me? You know it would be funny if it’s about me.

Marc (author): Yes, it sure would be funny. But they’re more about Uncle Marty and how he solves the mysteries while juggling his work, his family, his girlfriend, and not getting killed.

Megan: Doesn’t sound like something for me. Hey, Buddy, come back here. [Runs off after dog.]

Marc (author): Well, I guess that’s all we’ll get from Megan today.

For the adult readers out there, my books, Chutes and Ladder and Uncle and Ants, are humorous murder mysteries. Silicon Valley is not your typical cozy mystery locale and Marty Golden doesn’t fit the normal profile of a mystery protagonist. Despite finding himself thrust into challenging situations, Marty isn’t exactly hero material. He has a wonderful combination of wit, irreverent humor and sarcasm mixed in with nerdy insecurities, absent-mindedness, and fumbling but effective amateur sleuthing skills. With an active inner voice and not a lot of advanced planning, he throws himself into solving problems. Sometimes, he even succeeds.

Chutes and Ladder, book 2 in the Silicon Valley Mystery series, can be read standalone. It and Uncle and Ants are free to Kindle Unlimited readers and will have special pricing during the Great Escapes Tour so be sure to buy them today at Amazon. For more about my books or me, please visit www.marcjedel.com.

About the Author

For most of my life, I’ve been inventing stories. Some, especially when I was young, involved my sister as the villain. As my sister’s brother for her entire life, I’m highly qualified to tell the tale of this evolving, quirky sibling relationship.

My writing skills were honed in years of marketing leadership positions in Silicon Valley. While my high tech marketing roles involved crafting plenty of fiction, we called this marketing collateral, emails, and ads.

The publication of my first novel, Uncle and Ants, gave me permission to claim “author” as my job. This leads to way more interesting discussions than answering “marketing.”

My family would tell you that Marty’s character isn’t much of a stretch of the imagination for me, but I proudly resemble that remark.

Like Marty, I live in Silicon Valley and can’t believe that otherwise normal people would willingly jump out of an airplane and call it fun. Unlike Marty, I have a wonderful wife and a neurotic but sweet, small dog, who is often the first to weigh in on the humor in my writing.

Author Links

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.marcjedel.com

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/MarcJedel.Author

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mjedel/

GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/18403497.Marc_Jedel

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/marc-jedel

Purchase Link Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 25 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

March 25 – The Journey Back– REVIEW

March 25 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

March 26 – My Reading Journeys – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 26 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

March 26 – Teresa Watson – REVIEW

March 27 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 27 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

March 27 – Here’s How It Happened – GUEST POST

March 28 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 28 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

March 28 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW

March 29 – I’m Into Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 29 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 30 – 4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ – SPOTLIGHT

March 31 – ⒾⓃⓉⓇⓄⓈⓅⒺⒸⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓅⓇⒺⓈⓈ – SPOTLIGHT

March 31 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

April 1 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

April 1 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 2 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 2 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

April 3 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 4 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 4 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

April 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 5 – Literary Gold – REVIEW

April 5 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

April 6 – ❧Defining Ways❧ – GUEST POST

April 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

April 7 – Readeropolis – GUEST POST

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#Book Tour #Chutes and Ladder: A Silicon Valley Mystery #Cozy Mystery #Great Escapes Book Tours #I'm

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mysteryshelf · 6 years ago

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BLOG TOUR - Uncles and Ants

Welcome to

SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF!

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF by Great Escapes Book Tours. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

Uncle and Ants: A Silicon Valley Mystery by Marc Jedel

About the Book

Uncle and Ants: A Silicon Valley Mystery

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series BGM Press (October 11, 2018) Paperback: 287 pages ISBN-10: 1732716404 ISBN-13: 978-1732716407 Digital: ASIN: B07H68L6XR

Mysterious attacks. Mischievous nieces. Can a clueless uncle catch a tech-savvy killer … and be home before bedtime?

When a freak accident hospitalizes Marty Golden’s sister and condemns him to babysitter duty, he thinks it’s just another case of hardwired bad luck in Silicon Valley. Until a suspicious murder suggests the mishap was no mere coincidence. Something must be done.

Too bad this quirky, fashion-backward uncle isn’t exactly hero material.

Convinced his sister is in mortal danger, this amateur sleuth follows clues to an oddball array of suspects. Armed with nothing but an eye for detail and powers of self-delusion, Marty tangles with gangsters, a cantankerous school secretary, and a perplexing woman he can’t help but fall for. Glitches in his investigation seem like a piece of cake compared to dinner-prep and bedtime stories with his two precocious, pre-teen nieces.

Can Marty catch the culprit, save his sister, and get his life back in order before he gets unplugged?

Uncle and Ants is the first novel in a refreshingly modern mystery series set in Silicon Valley. If you like clever humor, sassy side characters, and average Joes facing extraordinary circumstances, then you’ll love this twisty mystery.

Buy Uncle and Ants to login to a fresh, funny mystery today!

~Updated 10/10/2018

Interview With the Author

What initially got you interested in writing?

Like most authors, I’ve always loved to read. As a child, I had a special notebook for writing my stories. Once, when I was young, I even got in trouble for my writing. I carved my name into a wood side-table in our family room. I tried to pin the blame on my sister, who clearly had tried to get me in trouble AGAIN. I thought this was a winning argument until my mother pointed out that my sister couldn’t write yet.

What genres do you write in?

My first book is a cozy mystery. My second book, Chutes and Ladder (underway), is also a cozy. By process of elimination, I’ve concluded I’m a cozy mystery writer.

What drew you to writing these specific genres?

On a vacation, I picked up my wife’s copy of a Janet Evanovich novel. She got mad when I didn’t return it until I’d finished. My wife that is, not Janet. Janet would be happy because I’ve purchased a number of her other books and even consulted her How I Write book when I started Uncle and Ants.

How did you break into the field?

I feel like my entire professional life in marketing has been about writing fiction. After wanting to write a book for many years, I finally focused on it. Lots of work, walks with the wife and dog, and drafts have led me to having my first novel published.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I want them to laugh and enjoy spending time with the characters while they read my story. There may be some deep, meaningful themes incorporated in my stories, but that would have happened by accident. It’s a fun, light story about a good guy, who thinks he wants his sister safe and his firecracker, eye-rolling nieces out of his apartment so he can put his life back to normal. He doesn’t realize it, but he really wants more out of life — more ties to family, more friends, and perhaps a new relationship.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

I now have a good excuse for telling people to be quiet because I’m listening to voices in my head. I really enjoy hearing from readers. It’s a great break in the day to read crazy stories from readers about their own dogs, cats, dads, uncles, siblings, etc. I love that readers find something in my stories that makes them laugh, or remember something fun, and then share that with me.

What do you find most challenging about writing?

Staring at my screen and trying to write something. And then trying to write faster.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

Read more. I believe reading different authors and genres is the best way to learn what works and what doesn’t. And, start writing. Even if you only have a few minutes to keep a short diary, practice is essential. There are gazillions of writing prompts and blogs for writers all over the web to inspire and help you get started.

What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I read both fiction and non-fiction. When I’m looking to relax, I read mysteries, thrillers, and sci-fi.

Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?

I like to think I’m endlessly fascinating. However, most normal people might enjoy learning that the ice cream truck story that finishes chapter two is completely true, believe it or not. As for the rest, it’s based on reality except where I’ve exaggerated, made it up or falsified my memories to fit the story.

What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?

Uncle and Ants will only remain $0.99 for a short while so be sure to pick it up today at Amazon. For more about the book or author, please visit:

My Website: marcjedel.com is the best place to learn more about me. You can get free chapters, learn more about me and my books, and sign up for my newsletter.

Facebook: facebook.com/MarcJedel.Author

Linked In: linkedin.com/in/mjedel/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marc-jedel

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18403497.Marc_Jedel

About the Author

In my family, I was born first — a fact my sister never lets me forget, no matter what milestone age she hits.

My writing skills were honed in years of marketing leadership positions in Silicon Valley. While my high-tech marketing roles involved crafting plenty of fiction, we called these marketing collateral, emails, and ads.

My family and friends would tell you that Marty’s character isn’t much of a stretch of the imagination for me, but I proudly resemble that remark.

Author Links – Website – http://www.marcjedel.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MarcJedel.Author

Purchase Link

Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 5 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

November 6 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST

November 6 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 7 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

November 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

November 8 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 9 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 10 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 10 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

November 11 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

November 12 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

November 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

November 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 16 – Jane Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 17 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

November 18 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

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BLOG TOUR – Uncles and Ants was originally published on the Wordpress version of Shannon Muir's The Pulp and Mystery Shelf

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