Summer Reading Promo

With the summer vacation in full swing, I have decided to giveaway the Amazon Kindle version of Perfect Pawn for only $0.99.

This offer won't last long, so please tell your friends and family to act soon. A great summer mystery / suspense read.

Here are what some of the reviewers are saying:

"Amazing!! Knowing that the author uses his knowledge and experience makes this the best read! I can't wait for the next"

"The book had me hooked and it read very easily. I had a strong emotional reaction to the characters."

"An intense action driven novel with enough twists and turns through it to keep the reader very alert and attached."

"The opening scene hooked me and then I became engaged by not one but two great protagonists."

Happy 4th of July

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a safe, happy and blessed 4th of July. As we enjoy our time with family and friends this day, let us never forget the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf.

To the airmen (and women), marines, sailors and soldiers, on behalf of a grateful nation: 

Thank you & God bless !

Plugging Along - July 2014 Update

I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start.

Things here have been going rather well. I am about 2/3 finished with the 3rd book in the James Maguire series. It will be another roller coaster ride. I always know when I am in a good writing place when I finish a chapter and think to myself: wow.......

However, writing can be a difficult thing. Sometimes the words just seem to flow easily; other times, not so much. There have been a few days where I have just had to close the laptop and walk away. You can't force the moment. The worst thing you can do is find yourself in a position where you are just writing for the sake of writing. Then you get caught in the old 'garbage in, garbage out' scenario.

This new book finds Maguire dealing with even more twists and turns. In addition to having to deal with recent events, we find that the world is still not a very happy and secure place. The threat of terrorism is still ever present and now he must contend with a hate crime that threatens to rip apart the very heart of the city. But things are never as they seem.

Who do you trust in a game that everyone is trying to win?

Happy Summer Reading !!

Summer Reading - Perfect Pawn $0.99 & Giveaway !!

I thought it was only fitting that I kick off the start of Summer 2014 with a giveaway raffle to jump start the beach reading season !! 

Starting today June 21st you will be able to get the e-book (kindle) version of Perfect Pawn for only $0.99 !! In addition, if you post a review on Amazon, you will be entered into a drawing, hosted by Rafflecopter, to win an autographed copy of Queen's Gambit.

See below for entry details !!  Good Luck !!

Perfect Pawn

By Andrew G. Nelson

Patricia Ann Browning didn’t see the deer standing in the middle of the road until it was too late, not that it would have mattered.

For retired NYPD Detective, James Maguire, the pieces of his life were finally starting to fall into place. He was running his own lucrative private security firm catering to Fortune 500 companies and had just met Melody Anderson, a highly successful business woman from Long Island's posh enclave of Southampton. Everything, it seemed, was looking up. That was until the morning newscast reported that his former high school flame was missing from a one car accident on a rural country road in upstate New York.

Arriving back in his old hometown Maguire must come to terms, not only with his past, but the fact that no one seems interested in pursuing the investigation into Patricia Browning's disappearance, including the missing woman’s husband, the local sheriff. 

As Maguire struggles to put the clues together in time, he is drawn deeper into a game where people are as expendable as pieces in a chess game and the only goal is to take down the king.

A crown Maguire unwittingly wears. 

Win one of 2 (two) Autographed copies of Queen’s Gambit, 

the Sequel to Perfect Pawn !

Have you read Perfect Pawn? If so, you could win an autographed copy of the sequel, Queen’s Gambit, just by posting a review. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter, here’s how it works:

How to enter the Perfect Pawn reader/reviewer contest:

1. Read Perfect Pawn (Starting June 21st, 2014 and continuing through midnight Thursday, June 26th, the e-book version (Kindle) will be available for purchase for only 99 cents -- after that it goes up to $3.99).

2. Post a review of the book on Amazon by July 7th – and enter a link to your review on the Rafflecopter widget below.

3. Each review gets an entry into the drawing. To gain additional entries, and increase your chances of winning, post a review on Goodreads, and/or Like myFacebook Page, and leave the links. You will receive one additional entry for EACH review, but remember that posting on Amazon is the qualifier for entering the contest.

4. What if you read it and you don’t enjoy it? Then what? Post your honest review anyway. It's a gamble I'm willing to take. So, don't forget the date: July 7th, 2014 is the deadline! I’ll announce the winner on my blog, FB, and Twitter accounts on July 8th, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Musings from the Midwest (Summer 2014 Update)

First let me wish everyone a Happy Summer !!

Yes, I am technically two days early, but with the way things have been here lately, I might be two weeks behind next time.

While my posts lately may not have been as consistent as I would have liked, that does not mean that I was 'slacking off'. No, far from it.

In mid May we attended the 2014 National Police Collectors Show in Cleveland, Ohio. While I was there I had an opportunity to do a signing of both Perfect Pawn and Queen's Gambit. It was nice meeting all those who stopped by our table and discussed the book.

Once we got returned home it was back to writing. I am happy to say that I am well over 50% done with the third installment of the James Maguire series.

Additionally, a new book titled: Small Town Secrets, will be debuting shortly. For my Christian County friends, sorry to disappoint, but it will not be a 'tell all' book. Although I think this will probably evoke a sense of relief to many...... To those outside the area, sorry it is an inside joke.

We are extremely excited about this book. It was originally intended to be a short story that I could use as a filler between Maguire novels. However, as the story line progressed, the characters took on a life of their own. In the end, they were too fun to write and so the the 'short story' became a full length novel. While the characters fit into the Maguire 'world', they are their own entities.

In the beginning of June, Nancy and I brainstormed on the sequel to Small Town Secrets. This collaboration led to an incredible story line and I have to tell you that I am extremely excited to begin working on this sequel. We even took the opportunity to head to the Kill Devil Hills / Nags Head, N.C. area for some hands on research. If you have never been there, I highly recommend it !!

So there you have it. Now it is time for me to get back to writing. Hope you enjoy the summer and that you will recommend Perfect Pawn and Queen's Gambit to all your friends !!

Stay tuned for news about the release of Small Town Secrets.

A LITERARY AFFAIR - Book Signing (Taylorville, Il.)

FOUR AUTHORS PLAN

‘A LITERARY AFFAIR’

 

          TAYLORVILLE – “A Literary Affair,” featuring four area authors, will be presented from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 3 at Dana’s Book Exchange on the north side of the historic Taylorville Square.

            The public is invited to meet the authors, who will display, sell and sign new releases and other books in their first joint effort.

            Each author focuses on a distinctive creative force, from the gritty streets of New York City to the heartland’s Abraham Lincoln.

            Complimentary refreshments will be provided.

            Participating will be:

·         Andrew G. Nelson, Edinburg. The retired New York City police sergeant

has released his second novel, Queen’s Gambit A sequel to his debut Perfect

Pawn, his new book realistically continues the perilous adventures of retired Big Apple detective James Maguire.

·         Pam Stone, Mechanicsburg. The author will present two children’s books

that celebrate real-life family experiences, including encounters with a turtle. Titles are Oscar’s Adventures in the Woods and The Watermelon Party.

Stone has worked in the media, insurance and marketing fields.

·         Carol Alexander, Taylorville. The second edition of her 2013 book, The Big

Squeal, will debut at the event. Endorsed by famous historian Doris Kearns

Goodwin, the books tell the true story of Lincoln vs. courthouse pigs. The expanded new edition takes a kid-friendly look at the Eighth Judicial Circuit

that prepared Lincoln for the presidency.

·         Courtney Michel, Glenarm. A state of Illinois employee, Michel has written

a collection of romance novels., She is the mother of three boys and attended Eastern Illinois University.

For more information, call bookstore proprietor Dana Frasier at 287-7888 or

Alexander at 824-2194. Authors are available for interviews and programs.

Illinois Stories (PBS) Mark McDonald

Nancy and I had the distinct pleasure of being interviewed by Mark McDonald for Illinois Stories on PBS.

The show airs:

Sunday, April 20, 4:30 PM
Tuesday, April 22, 6:30 PM

Check your local listings for the channel.

http://networkknowledge.tv/service/illinois-stories