POLITICAL DIRTY TRICK - James R Callan - One Free Book

Welcome back, James. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

He has blessed me more than I can imagine. I have faith he will continue to hold me in the palm of His hand.

I so agree with that, and I thank Him often for where He’s led me. Tell us a little about your family.

We have been blessed with four great children, one son and three daughters. Our son is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Our eldest daughter handles royalties for those who write the music for movies. Our middle daughter teaches in elementary school and sings in her own band. And our youngest daughter is a writer of middle grade non-fiction and has over 70 books published.

Then we have six grandkids, two granddaughters and four grandsons.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

When I’m in the middle of writing a mystery, I don’t want to read any mysteries. Same thing for suspense. Those are my favorite genres to read, but when I’m writing, I don’t want to be exposed to other writers’ ideas in the same genre I’m writing at the moment.

What are you working on right now?

I have just published the third Crystal Moore Suspense novel, Political Dirty Trick. So, mostly I am working on the launch of this book. It is published in digital, paperback and hardcover editions. The audio will be out in the summer. But plot snippets for another Crystal Moore book are beginning to rattle around in my brain.

What outside interests do you have?

My wife and I like to travel. We have visited all fifty of the United States. We have traveled to six continents (having missed Antarctica). We have a nice home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and spend a good bit of time there.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Both my Father Frank Mystery Series and the Crystal Moore Suspense books are primarily set in northeast Texas. Why? First, I know the area well. I was raised in Dallas and after spending twenty years in Connecticut, I moved to rural northeast Texas. Second, there are many interesting characters here that give me models for book characters. And third, several of the

plots have naturally come from this area. For instance, Cleansed by Fire centers around church burnings. That happened here a few years back. Then Over My Dead Body was inspired by eminent domain used by private companies. That actually happened to my wife and I just about one year before that book was released. Hmmm. Coincidence? Maybe not. A Ton of Gold was the result of reading an old Texas folktale.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

How difficult and time consuming marketing would be. Foolishly I thought the publisher would handle all that. There’s a lesson here about rose-colored glasses.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Patience. And I am not a very apt student. But He has been so good to me throughout my entire life, I’ll try to do better for Him.

   

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Read, write and be persistent.

Tell us about the featured book.

In Political Dirty Trick, Crystal’s good friend, Ron Drake, is a shoo-in to win the gubernatorial race in Texas. Two volunteers in the opposition camp (George and Ginnie) believe their candidate’s only chance is a political dirty trick that will sink his numbers in the polls. They construct an elaborate hoax and with a source in the D.A.’s office, leak fake news to the media.

The dirty trick is successful and Drake’s numbers plummet. But things go wrong and a man is killed. Ginnie is determined not to get caught for the man’s death, and to cover it up, another man is killed.

Crystal sets out to find who is leaking the unfair information. She has no idea the murders are connected to the fake news. But as she begins to gather clues, Ginnie decided no one is looking for her or George—except Crystal. To Ginnie, Crystal must be eliminated and she makes several attempts on Crystal’s life.

Drake’s once invincible lead evaporates and on election day, he comes in second. But the election isn’t over. The attempts on Crystal’s life aren’t either. Drake may lose the election. And Crystal may lose her life.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Saturday, March 24

She crept into the room, a mere shadow. No sound. No trace of her presence. The small flashlight she pulled from her pocket produced only a slight glow, hardly noticeable from across the room, invisible from outside. But it revealed the major objects in the room: a desk, two chairs. And the Mondrian. She studied the painting for a moment. Why would anyone pay big bucks for this nonsense? With a canvas, a paint pallet and a bottle of vodka, I could produce the same thing in an hour or two. Would anyone pay me three hundred thou for it? Not a chance.

No one was in the house, yet she moved with care to lift the painting off the wall. Lighter than she expected and only about three feet square. She turned and glided out of the room. Except for the missing painting, nothing had been disturbed, not even the dust. She made her way down the short hall and into the kitchen, headed out the way she came in.

She froze.

A noise, ever so slight, came from the back door. A key slipped into a lock.

The owner, at a campaign rally, shouldn’t be home for another hour. Light flooded the entry room and she heard footsteps coming toward the kitchen, toward her. The room was still dark, but her eyes had become accustomed to the low light. Her mind raced as fast as her heartbeat. She started forward, then stopped. Back toward the study would leave her exposed in the hall.

The only other exit was a door on her left. She opened it. A pantry. She slipped in, and eased it shut just as the kitchen lit up.

Intriguing. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is: http://www.jamesrcallan.com

My blog is: http://www.jamesrcallan.com/blog

My author page on Amazon is: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG

Thank you, James, for sharing this new book with us. I’m eager to read it, and I know many of my blog readers are, too.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Political Dirty Trick: A Crystal Moore Suspense (Volume 3) - Paperback
Political Dirty Trick: A Crystal Moore Suspense - Kindle

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