Death
and Donuts
The
Frankie and Josh Series
Book
Three
Stan
Schatt
Genre:
police procedure /mystery/
paranormal
mystery
Publisher:
Pen-L
Date
of Publication: 11/22/2016
ISBN:
978-1-68313-074-1
ASIN:
B01N061W4X
Number
of pages: 210
Word
Count: 59000
Cover
Artist: Kelsey Rice
Book
Description:
Hollywood
stars! Politicians! Betrayal! Murder! And a by-the-book cop just
trying to do her job in the middle of it all.
To
solve the murder of a movie star just weeks before the Academy
Awards, Detective Frankie Ryan has to navigate through a web of
Hollywood secrets and political landmines, not to mention the "old
boys club" in her own police department. The presence of a new
designer drug and the deaths it is tallying up threaten to hinder her
investigation and leave her without a suspect—and maybe out of a
job. Even with the aid of psychic reporter Josh Harrell, there is
more confusion around every corner. Trusted friends will turn on her,
leaving her unsure who to believe and who might be in on the murder
and conspiracy.
Can
Frankie discover the killer before it is too late?
Note:
this is book 3 of the series but each book stands alone
Excerpt:
Frankie nodded and
stepped inside the curtain. Daniel Martin
wasn’t a large
man, but now he seemed even smaller in the over- sized hospital bed.
He stared at Frankie with glassy eyes.
“I guess now I’m
one of the usual suspects to be rounded up,” he said with a voice
just above a whisper.
“We can pin
attempted murder on you for Belmont and probably link you to Hobbs
and Gordon, but we can make things a lot more manageable for you if
you just tell me who is behind Ruby Red.”
Martin’s face
broke into a rueful smile. “You just don’t get it. You’re
dealing with forces much bigger than you or me. You’re just a pawn,
and so am I.”
Frankie drew her
face closer. “You might not have much time. I can have a priest or
minister here if you want to make your peace. Don’t die with this
on your conscience.”
Martin’s smile
turned into a sneer. “The old circling the drain argument. Does
that ever work? You’re not even good material for a Grade B cop
movie from the ’40s. You keep digging into this, and you’ll be
busted down to walking South Central on the midnight shift.”
“Is someone in the
department dirty?”
Martin just stared
at her while his lips broke into a grim smile. His face became
flushed, and his eyes lost focus. An alarm sounded,
and the room was
flooded with nurses. Frankie led Josh out. She shook her head.
What could possibly
be scary enough for a man on death’s door- step to keep him from
talking?
About
the Author:
Stan
Schatt is the author of forty books including mysteries, science
fiction, biographies of Michael Connelly, Daniel Silva, and Kurt
Vonnegut, and even college textbooks. His novels draw upon
experiences he has had in a wide range of careers that include
college professor, police department administrator, autopsy
assistant, telecommunications consultant, and market research
executive. Schatt has been cited for outstanding teaching by the
University of Southern California, the University of Houston, and
DeVry Institute of Technology.
@stanschatt
***
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
Well, with a mystery you do have to know where you’re going or you will never get there.
I do plan the basic plot but then do allow the book to move in a different direction.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Yes, particularly the supernatural character.
What is your favourite food? Rib-eye steak.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I do my best work in the morning.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
Because I’ve done so much traveling while a consultant, I’ve earned over two million miles on American Airlines. The result is that I don’t really dream about travelling anymore except to visit family. Actually, there are lots of places in the US I’d still like to see.
Do distant places feature in your books?
Most of my books are set on the west coast. Egypt Rising is set in Egypt (naturally) and my two Minecraft books are set in the world of Minecraft.
Do you listen to music while writing?
No.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
Death and Donuts contains an unusual triangle that includes a man, his girlfriend, and the sexy ghost only he can see. This is a mystery and a police procedure novel with a female detective trying to solve a series of murders of major Hollywood actors. The plot includes an extremist group trying to subvert democracy.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
I’ve learned to plot better and to sharpen my dialog. As far as publishing, I’ve used small publishers as well as self-published some novels. Today writers have to do their own marketing.
Is there anything you would do differently?
As far as my writing, no. I’ve written almost every conceivable type of book including science fiction, adventure, mysteries, critical biographies, and even college textbooks.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
I’ve learned a lot from writing books on both Michael Connelly and Daniel Silva. From Connelly I learned how to build a continuing set of characters. From Silva I learned how to incorporate action.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
I think you need thick skin to handle rejection as well as critical reviews. You also need to realize just how much time you’ll need to spend marketing the book after it is published.
What are three words that describe you?
Humorous, curious, analytical
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Dune is my favorite novel and Michael Connelly my favorite novelist.
List of previous books if any:
39 books including Silent Partner, A Bullet for the Ghost Whisperer, Egypt Rising, Jane Blond International Spy, Alien Love, Journey to a Different Dimension and Return to a Different Dimension.
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