Tag Archives: books

You are where you are

Posted on by under Audio, Authors, Books, e-books, Fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

Location, location, location. You hear it all the time in real estate. The tagline is just as important in fiction. And appropriate, given that the lead character in the CW McCoy series of crime novels is a woman who sells real estate. As a transplant, I’m especially aware of it.

That leads to a question I’ve asked since I began writing novels: just when does setting become a character? When does location move from background to foreground?

Readers from Pennsylvania to Florida have called out locales they recognize in both the McCoy and the Brinker novels. Even with names altered to simplify and protect, those locations seem to resonate with them.

As we near publication of the fourth McCoy novel, let’s review the importance of place in the series, which started with Peak Season and progressed to Tourist in Paradise and the latest, Curb Appeal. (You’ll have a chance to preview the new title and cover design later this year.)

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these scenes from Florida’s Gulf Coast, where the sun shines on the good and bad alike.

Jeff Widmer is the author of five novels and three books of nonfiction. You’ll find his Amazon author page here.

Condos line the skyline of Sarasota, Fl, across from the marina where Walter Bishop berths his sailboat in Peak Season

 

 

Deep Hole at Myakka Park, where alligators aren’t the only predators in Curb Appeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading, Florida style

Posted on by under Audio, Authors, Books, Culture, e-books, Fiction, mystery, Novel, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

My wonderful friend and fellow writer Jeanne Johansen sent me this photo of two members of her husband’s book club reading Peak Season on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Peak Season marks the first of a trilogy of crime novels featuring real estate agent turned investigator CW (Candace) McCoy. You can find it and the other novels in the series at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo, with the audio version at Audible.

Thank you, readers, everywhere.

Have a photo of you or your friends reading a CW or a Brinker novel? Feel free to send the image to editor (at) allusionbooks (dot) com.

 

‘Thrilling and suspenseful’

Posted on by under Authors, e-books, Fiction, mystery, Novel, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

What a way to start the new year. Amy Shannon of Amy’s Bookshelf has written an expressive review of Curb Appeal that awards the novel four stars. She calls CW McCoy’s third outing in the Southwest Florida series “thrilling and suspenseful.”

Since the review is brief, and Amy has graciously granted permission to reprint it, I’m doing so here.

“This is a great story that has more than just one plot, but the major plot points to a murder and CW is a detective who must solve it. The writing brings the reader right smack in the middle of the story. It’s an interesting and intriguing story, and makes the reader want to see more sides of CW McCoy. I haven’t read other books from Widmer, but I definitely will add more to my TBR list. I look forward to going back to reading the first two McCoy books.”

So do customers who have left comments on Amazon. “A spell binding addition to the CW McCoy series. Can’t wait for the next one.” “I like how the characters have developed over the three books, the drama and the levity in parts. It is a good read!” “I read it in two sittings and got nothing done around the house! I loved it and highly recommend it.”

Reader reaction to Peak Season, the first of the McCoy novels, was just as enthusiastic. Kirkus Reviews called it “an entertaining mystery romp” and things just got better from there. “Really a good read with lots of character details and plot twists.” “Widmer’s created a great protagonist with many facets…hope to hear more of her!” “The details of south Florida lifestyle and tourist season are spot on.” “Made me want to hear more of CW’s adventures!”

Many came to the novel through the audiobook version and wanted to hear more. “Very skillfully written; the characters are described in such detail that they feel real and relatable.” “The scenes are intricate, suspenseful, and haunting. This book has everything: mystery, romance, suspense, and murder! Overall, Peak Season was a very engaging read and I cannot wait to start the next novel.” “All in all, a great start to what promises to be an interesting, fun series, and I look forward to finding out what Jeff Widmer has in store for CW in the future.”

Those who like a strong female protagonist in mystery/suspense fiction might appreciate these reactions: “Amazing that a male writer can do such a great job with a female character as the lead!” and “A good read for guys, too, even though the main voice is a woman.”

You can find all of the books in the CW McCoy series in print or electronic form at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo and through bookstores everywhere. Peak Season is available in audio format through Audible, as is my other mystery/suspense series, starting with Mr. Mayhem, the book that introduces the defrocked journalist named Brinker who, as a purveyor of public relations, brings new meaning to the term fake news.

 

‘What’s not to like about this new novel?’

Posted on by under Authors, Books, Creativity, e-books, Fiction, mystery, Novel, poetry, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

What’s not to like about a good review?

No, they’re not uncommon. Most writers can find something positive to say about a book. But unqualified praise? It’s rare.

That’s why I’m so pleased to see Ryan G. Van Cleave’s assessment of Curb Appeal, the latest in the series of mystery/thrillers featuring detective-turned-real-estate-agent CW (Candace) McCoy. (No, that’s not her in the photo on the left.) The piece appears in the October edition of Scene magazine.

For those of you who don’t feel like following the link, here’s an excerpt:

“What’s not to like about his new novel by Sarasota resident Jeff Widmer? Most of the things I look for in a mystery are right there. Hot new cop boyfriend faces assault charges—check. Rival real estate agent is strangled by a lacy black bra in chapter 1—check. Back-to-back hurricanes—check. Seriously, Widmer understands the value of pacing and creating a driving forward momentum. But he still knows how to sprinkle in telling details. Widmer’s Curb Appeal presents the image of an intriguing book—and the reality matches.”

I’m especially pleased to see the review combined with one of Patricia Gussin’s latest books, Come Home. Dr. Gussin is a former executive with Johnson & Johnson who specializes in writing medical mystery/thrillers. She and her husband Robert run the independent Oceanview Publishing on Longboat Key, Florida. I’ve read her work and heard her speak at the annual Venice Book Fair, and she’s as informative in person as she is in print.

Ryan has a raft of publishing experience, too. He is a poet, editor, and teacher who lives in Sarasota, Florida, where he heads the creative writing program at The Ringling College of Art + Design. An Amazon.com best-selling author and co-author, he has penned and edited a diverse field of books, including Memoir Writing for Dummies, Contemporary American Poetry and Unplugged, My Journey into the Dark World of Video Game Addiction.

He’s a writer who is generous with his time and praise, as is the person who brought Curb Appeal to his attention, fellow author and teacher Eric Sheridan Wyatt.

What’s not to like about that?

Creatures of habit

Posted on by under Authors, Books, e-books, Fiction, mystery, Novel, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

This month, I’ve been posting images of Southwest Florida that inspired many of the scenes in Curb Appeal, the third installment in the CW McCoy series of romantic suspense novels. If you would like to see the collection in one place, head over to Flickr for a global view of the scenes and people who inhabit CW’s world.

And speaking of characters. . . . While locations along the Gulf Coast weave their way into the novel, animals play an equally important role. Witness this trio, some of whom make regular appearances at Myakka River State Park as well as the Sarasota Farmers’ Market.

 

 

I once was lost but now I’m found: Sugar Bear returns in #curbappeal

 

Playing it safe

Posted on by under Authors, Books, Business, Commerce, Culture, e-books, Fiction, mystery, Nonfiction, Novel, suspense, thriller

The National Association of Realtors has been at the forefront of promoting agent safety. The organization’s Realtor Safety Program website offers several resources for agents as well as background on why a personal safety plan is important. It also provides a context for buyers and sellers who may see some of these precautions as inconvenient or unnecessary.

One of the most accessible tools on the site is the video “Real Estate, Safety, and You,” through which consumers can learn about the safety protocols they may encounter when working with an agent.

(In Curb Appeal, fictional real estate agent CW McCoy breaks it down into the Three C’s: set the initial client meeting in the office, copy their drivers’ licenses and, when showing the property, never get cornered.)

 

 

 

‘There are places I remember’

Posted on by under Authors, Books, e-books, Fiction, Law Enforcement, mystery, Novel, Policing, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

What are the places in Southwest Florida that inspired Curb Appeal, the third book in the mystery/suspense series featuring CW (Candace) McCoy, the former detective applying her investigative skills as a real estate agent? To paraphrase John Lennon, here are a few of the places I remember, including one many residents hope they’ll never see: the inside of the Sarasota Police Department.

 

 

One of the many condo buildings gracing the skyline of Sarasota, FL #curbappeal

 

 

Sarasota police officers demonstrate vascular hold that Skip Taggert tries on CW #curbappeal

 

 

The Power of Place

Posted on by under Authors, Books, e-books, Fiction, Law Enforcement, mystery, Novel, Policing, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

How many times have you read a novel and fallen in love with the location? (Fans of Ellis Peters and Nevada Barr, raise your hands.)

CW McCoy’s Spanish Point holds the same allure for those of us who, like CW, fled the darkness of the North for Florida’s Gulf Coast. The result is Spanish Point, a fictionalized mashup of the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton that isn’t the paradise it first seems.

Over the few weeks, we’ll look at the places in the region that inspired Curb Appeal, the third book in the mystery/suspense series featuring CW (Candace) McCoy, the former police detective turned real estate agent whose struggles with career and personal issues lead her into dangerous terrain.

While Curb Appeal is fiction, it’s the tragic attacks on real estate agents that form the backbone of the book—that and efforts by the National Association of Realtors to promote awareness and safety.

Each day on social media, we’ll take a look at the homes, boats and watering holes of CW’s friends and enemies as we reconcile the images of paradise with reality. I hope you’ll join us for a guided tour. In the meantime, here are a few deceptively ordinary images from the Gulf Coast.

On the Gulf of Mexico near Siesta Key: sailing the high seas near sunset on a day that’s divine—until you turn your back.

 

Lakewood Ranch luxury: remember the movie “Play ‘Misty’ for Me”? You may never go near a soaking tub again.

 

Myakka River State Park: the mysterious woods (and the alligators of Deep Hole) beckon the unsuspecting.

 

Dark side of the sun

Posted on by under Authors, Books, e-books, Fiction, mystery, Novel, Policing, suspense, thriller, Writers, Writing

Curb Appeal, the third novel in the CW McCoy series about a detective turned real estate agent, may be fiction but it has its foundation in reality. And while the book isn’t based on a specific crime, it was spurred by a dangerous trend in a seemingly benign industry.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), nearly 40 percent of Realtors report that they have experienced a work-related situation that made them fear for their safety. In 2013, 25 real estate professionals were the victims of homicide, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Crime against agents is not a new phenomenon. In the decade between 2003 and 2012, the bureau reported an average of 17 real estate homicides per year. It is, however, one that continues to threaten the industry. In the final weeks of 2016, two real estate agents were shot and killed while showing homes in Georgia and Texas, according to the NAR.

Set in a fictional city on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Curb Appeal opens with CW (Candace) McCoy discovering the naked body of a rival real estate agent, a black bra wrapped around her neck. It’s the least of CW’s problems. The hot new cop she’s dating may face assault charges. Relations with both her best friend and mentor have frayed. And back-to-back hurricanes threaten to flatten a city groaning under the weight of over-development.

As the deception and bodies mount, CW must uncover the truth about her friends, her lover and a serial killer bent on murdering fellow agents . . . before she becomes a victim herself.

Curb Appeal is the third outing with CW, after Peak Season and Tourist in Paradise. The novel is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo, as well as bookstores everywhere.