Copper Waters - A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell - Mystery-Suspense

 

Book Details:

Book Title: Copper Waters - A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
Release date: October, 2022
Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance

Book Description:

Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.

But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.

Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.

Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?

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Guest Post by Marlene M. Bell
How I encourage myself in the face of rejection

Every writer faces rejection by readers and submissions to literary agents. It’s how to deal with rejection that determines the survival of the author. Don’t take it personally! Publishing houses are accepting so few books from non-celebrities, while indie authors are honing their craft—steadily gaining a larger share of the reader market because they’re constantly learning and improving. Never give up on a dream.

Have I had my share of the dreaded rejection letters from agents and publishers? Yes, tons of them. The only way to avoid a manuscript rejection is to not pitch your book at all.

In the early days of my debut novel, I made a folder for agent submission correspondence. With a growing folder and my inbox filled with dreaded rejections, I came to the conclusion that saving them was a sad reminder of my failures. I later understood that receiving a response, any response, is a positive thing. Agencies receive so many manuscript submissions they aren’t bound to respond at all. (A few are so bold to add a disclaimer on their submission page stating they only respond to those with work they’re interested in.) Be courteous in a return reply, and thankful they took the time to drop a note of rejection. Just because they turn down one story idea doesn’t mean they won’t like your next book idea. If writing a series and pitching book one, it’s best to wait for a future standalone before pitching them again. Agents typically won’t look at the next submission for a series book if they’ve already rejected the first installment.

Writing is subjective just like editing. Pleasing all readers is an impossible task, so stop trying! Authors have to write for themselves—with the reader in mind.

Understanding genres before you begin will save editing multiple drafts. Before writing fiction, I rarely read other authors, which is a terrible mistake. That’s why it took me years to get my first novel to print, and eventually an updated version in 2022. Reviewers will let you know if you’ve mixed genres or edited your book hastily, so prepare to get criticized if you haven’t hired the best editors who can find these mistakes prior to publishing.

Listen to your critics especially if the complaints are repetitive. If it’s heard once, pass it off as a personal preference for that reader. If the same criticism is mentioned several times, there’s work to do in that department. Critique partners, editors, and reviewers are honest and helpful in the long run. Listen to their advice. As long as your novel is edited professionally, has a solid book formatter, and genre-specific cover art, your new release will get the jumpstart it needs for many glowing reviews.

Rejection is nothing more than a frame of mind. Shake it off. What doesn’t resonate with some might be appealing to the next reader.

Also Available for Review:

Book Details:
Book Title:  Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   March 2018
Format available for review:  print - softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity.

Book Description:

People die, but legends live on.

New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury's best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?

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Audible

Book Details:

Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell

Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense

Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing

Release date: Nov 2019

Format available for review: print - softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)

Will send print books out: USA

Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity.

Book Description:

Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.

That same morning, they find a stranger's body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.

In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt's abduction before Kate's health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.

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Audible

Book Details:

Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
Release date: Oct 2021
Format available for review: print - softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF)
Will send print books out: USA
Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like "damn." No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn't materialize.

Book Description:

To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.

When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother's birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.

Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.

Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

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Meet the Author:

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children's picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

connect with the author: website ~ website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads


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