New Release: SINK OR SWIM by Stacy Juba - and more...

New Release by Stacy Juba
Sink or Swim - Mystery/Suspense
Mainly Murder Press
Release date:  January 1, 2011
http://stacyjuba.com/blog/books-2/sink-or-swim/


Contests, Prizes and Celebrities Launch New Reality Show Mystery

Readers are invited to attend an online launch party for the new reality show-themed mystery novel Sink or Swim, a book that former contestants of Survivor, the Amazing Race, and Big Brother have called "extremely well-written, suspenseful, and a great read."

CSN Stores, which is comprised of over 200 specialized online stores that offer a wide variety of home goods from dinnerware, to laptop messenger bags, sofas and suitcases, will give away a $50 gift card on the author's web site, http://www.stacyjuba.com/ during a contest that will run from Feb. 6-14. In addition, from Feb. 8-13 visitors can also enter to win from 33 print books and e-books donated by nine authors. A blog post written by Stephenie LaGrossa, owner of GiGi Restaurant & Lounge, Philadelphia PA, television personality and fan favorite Survivor: Palau, Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains, will kick off the festivities.

LaGrossa was one of three former reality show contestants that endorsed the book, giving the comment, "Being on a hit reality show not once, but three times, made Sink or Swim really hit home for me… It was an easy read and extremely well written… I would love to see it come out as a movie one day.” Also endorsing the book were Michelle Costa, former contestant on Big Brother 10, and Shawne Morgan, former contestant on CBS’s The Amazing Race 16.

Written by Stacy Juba, Sink or Swim follows personal trainer Cassidy Novak, who has gained fame for starring on a hit reality show. Not only does she lose and have to walk the plank, but upon returning home, Cassidy discovers she is being stalked. As her former competitors get killed off, Cassidy refuses to play by the stalker’s bizarre rules. She’s also being shadowed by photographer Zach Gallagher, who has been assigned to capture her personal moments for the local newspaper. She wants to trust Zach, but fears he may not be as nice as he seems. When the stalker forces a showdown, Cassidy must walk the plank again – this time for her life.

The book was published in gift quality trade paperback from Mainly Murder Press and is also available in multiple $2.99 ebook formats including Kindle and Nook. Juba is also the author of the mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, as well as the patriotic children’s picture book The Flag Keeper.

More information, including a book trailer, reviews, and book club discussion questions, is available at www.stacyjuba.com. Juba has also launched an online version of the fictional reality show Sink or Swim on her blog, in which authors can enter their literary characters as contestants. The three characters that draw the most unique visitors at the end of the year will be declared the winners.

You can find Stacy online at:
www.stacyjuba.com or
http://www.stacyjuba.com/blog/

Interview with JEFFREY LEEVER

Your background includes public relations, editing, and sports writing. What prompted you to write mystery/suspense novels?

There's a bit of all those things in my novels, and characters who serve in some of those roles. Through the years, a lot of my background has involved writing for audiences that have short attention spans and people who need to be pulled into a narrative fairly quickly. Some of those same storytelling techniques seem to apply pretty well to the kind of suspense-based mystery novels that I write.

Tell us about your latest release, The University.

The story is set on a college campus and involves a student trying to piece together why his best friend disappeared. At the same time, an investigative journalist is looking into an old unsolved murder case that could be related. Beneath the university's campus lies a series of tunnels that seem to be connected to growing occult activity in the area. Overall, the book is a fast-paced, dark fall thriller.

What are you working on now?

I'm working on a couple more suspense manuscripts right now and am also collaborating with an illustrator on a children's book. The latter project is obviously pretty different for me...and also a nice change of pace. My plans are to keep writing and having fun with it until my hands wear out or an anvil drops from the sky on my head.

Share with us your thoughts about marketing, promotion, and social media.

I enjoy book marketing and promotion. I do a lot of my own website content, write press releases, and sign quite a bit at bookstores to support each new novel. I like meeting people, both customers and retail staff. I often meet other authors this way, as well. I enjoy blogging and doing guest posts also. I've done the MySpace and Facebook thing for several years, too, plus even a bit of YouTube. I think people are surprised by how accessible I am sometimes. I decided a long time ago that I never want to be that writer guy who is too cool to respond to someone's e-mail.

Are you a member of any writer’s organizations? Why? Why not?

I lived in Colorado for twelve years up until fairly recently and, while there, joined Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and the Colorado Authors League. I haven't added any new ones since moving to Missouri just prior to my first novel, Dark Friday, coming out. I'm sure I probably will at some point.

Tell us about the setting for your latest book. What inspired you to set this particular novel at a college campus?

Back when I was in college in the Midwest, a faculty member once told me about a seldom-used series of tunnels that existed beneath our campus. It was a network that connected a bunch of buildings and even led underneath a few of the student dorms. Plus, it was an area that wasn't well-monitored by campus security -- or so the story went. For weeks after, I walked around campus wondering what was literally "underneath my feet" at any given moment. And when the sun set each night, my mind went wild with the possibilities. Anyway…that unnerving little tidbit was still stuck in my head 15 years later, and I thought it might make for an interesting element in a mystery novel.

What are the addresses of your website(s), blog(s), and other online presences?

My website is http://www.jeffreyleever.com/. I contribute to a blog called MurderShop at

mystery-writers.blogspot.com. I can also be easily found and "Friended" on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/jeffreyleever if anyone is so inclined.

Guest Blogger: LINDA WEAVER CLARKE

Romance VS Mystery!

I have written five historical romance novels but have changed to mystery. The writing process between romance and mystery is quite a change with a completely different mind set. Its so different from telling a love story. With romance, you plan out the plot around the meeting of a couple. As you write, you develop some sort of charisma between the characters, making the reader feel excited that one day they're going to hit it off and fall in love. You, as the reader, know what the outcome will be. But with a mystery, the reader is in the dark. The author has to come up with a plot that no one knows about until towards the end of the story and hope they havent figured it out. In a mystery, you may or may not allow your reader to know who the bad guys are, according to whether its just a mystery or mystery suspense. Do you know the difference between a mystery and a mystery suspense novel? In a mystery, when a knock is heard at the door, the reader doesn't know who's behind it. With mystery suspense, the reader knows who's behind the door and yells to the heroine, "Don't open the door!"

Anasazi Intrigue is the first book in a mystery adventure series called The Adventures of John and Julia Evans. Its about a devastating flood that takes out several homes in a small town, the importance of preserving ancient artifacts, and a few puzzling and mysterious events. Julia is a reporter, and when she finds out about a possible poison spill that kills some fish and neighbor's pets, she has a feeling that something isnt quite right. Before she realizes what is happening, Julia finds out that this incident is much bigger and more dangerous than she thought. With dead fish, a devastating flood, and miscreants chasing John and Julia, they have their hands full.

Artifact theft is a very intriguing subject. Thats why I call it the Intrigue series. In my research, I found that archaeological thievery is becoming more and more of a problem every year. Did you know that looting is only second to selling illegal drugs? While researching the second book in this series, Mayan Intrigue, my eyes were opened to the problems they have in southern Mexico. When an ancient ruin is discovered, it doesnt take long for thieves to take it apart. The reason why is because the Mayas used astrological alignments when planning their city. Looters have learned the layout of the Mayan cities so they know where to dig. With this knowledge, they can loot a sacred temple in a few days. I also found that artifact theft in Mexico has been taken over by drug dealers from Columbia. In other words, since organized crime has taken over, there is also an increase of violence.

Mayan Intrigue will be released on August 30th and Im having a week long celebration with a book give-away at my Blog at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com. Mayan Intrigue is about the discovery of a priceless artifact that puts Julias life in great danger. While on assignment for the newspaper, John and Julia try to enjoy a romantic vacation among the Mayan ruins, but when Julia accidentally comes upon a couple suspicious men exchanging an item, she quickly turns and leaves but its too late. Before John and Julia realize what's going on, they find themselves running for their lives through the jungles of the Yucatan. To read an excerpt from each of my books, you can visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.