Click on the Spotify playlist below to listen to a playlist I put together to get you in the mood to read some creepy stories! 

If you haven't seen the 1999 movie The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, you should probably go watch it now. That movie is a classic! Watched it, now? Good, we can continue. 

My upcoming paranormal adventure novel After Death centers around Jeffrey Raines, a spirit who works as a bounty hunter for Death. He reaps wandering spirits that cause harm to the living and the natural balance of life and death. What does this plot have to do with The Mummy, you ask? Absolutely nothing. 

The plot of the movie didn't influence the book. The tone did. I've always loved the movie The Mummy and the sequel The Mummy Returns. There's a third one, but we don't talk about it. If you're unfamiliar with these movies, even though in the beginning I specifically told you to go watch it you rebel, allow me to explain. The Mummy is part action/adventure, part horror, and part comedy. This blend of genres always fascinated me. There are parts of the movie that are downright creepy and scenes that just make you laugh out loud. All of this mixed with fun and exhilarating action. 

I know this isn't something that is exclusive to The Mummy. But this movie series always stood out to me and shaped a lot of my own writing. I loved Rick O'Connell's attitude from start to finish. A little bit of his personality may have found its way to Jeffrey Raines in After Death. 

I loved the way The Mummy blended horror tropes with action, adventure, and comedy and I set out to mimic this in my newest book. I hope I even came a fraction close to capturing that sort of tone. But you'll be the judge of that. After Death comes out later this year! Are you a big fan of The Mummy? Let me know your favorite scene in the comments below! 

    The idea for a horror novella sprung on me one weekend while I was vacationing with my wife’s family. We were taking a trip to an Airbnb out in the middle of nowhere. Like a sort of cabin getaway. When we got there, an idea popped into my head that I couldn’t ignore. The first night there, I pulled out my laptop and got to work.  
     That book was Getaway. If you’ve read the book, you know how badly the vacation goes for the family. Well, I’m here to give you some rapid facts about the plot and the real inspiration behind it. Enjoy! 
 

5. The Cover  

    If you’ve seen the original cover for Getaway, you’ll know it features a yellow house with a red door which is exactly what is described in the book. Well, that was the actual house we stayed in for the weekend. I thought the house would make a good back drop for the cover, so I snapped some shots and sent them to my graphic designer who worked wonders.  


4. The Family 

    While no one in the book is based on any real people, the amount sure was. There was me and my wife, her brother and his girlfriend, and my wife’s parents. In the book, you have Samantha and Tyler (husband and wife), Wesley (the brother), Ashley (the sister), Helen and Dan (parents).  
 

3. Creep Factor 

    When the book was first published, my wife’s family was surprised to see the cabin we had stayed in on the front cover. They were even more surprised to find out that the story of a maniac terrorizing this family was inspired and written while we were there. Needless to say, they were scared of me for a while. Fair enough.  
 

2. “Spin-offs”  

    With the completion of Getaway, I almost continued a tradition of writing horror novellas once a year. I figured they were short enough to get one out a year. But I dropped the idea when it left me less time to write more of my larger stories. But that doesn’t mean I’m done with novellas altogether. There may be more in the future. 
 

1. No One Knows What’s Going On 

    Don’t worry, if you haven’t read the book yet I won’t be spoiling the ending here. However, I will say this. The family doesn’t know who is tormenting them or why. Eventually, they begin to turn on each other. Everyone who has read the book has had their suspects but only I know the truth and I’m not telling ? Read it for yourself to come up with your own conclusion!  

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    That was rapid facts about my horror novella Getaway. I plan to do more of these in the future for all my books and possibly even stories I’ve written. Let me know in the comments below if this would be something you’d like to see more of. I truly enjoy dropping this kind of info about my work. It’s a lot of fun!  
    If you want to go past the page of my books, consider signing up for my monthly newsletter. I give details about current projects, cover reveals, early looks at chapters, giveaways, and much more! You can sign up below. And don’t forget to find me on social media and say hi.  

Want a quick description about my five published books? Well, then you've come to the right blog! Below are rundowns for each of my books and links to where you can find them! 



To the Wolves: An Ethan McCormick Novel
Let's start with my first published book.  To the Wolves. Ethan McCormick is a Miami Police officer at the end of his shift one night. A routine traffic stop turns deadly when the man kills himself. Traumatized, Ethan struggles to understand why. He takes a little time off with his soon-to-be fiance, Sandra, for a vacation to the Florida Keys. But when she's found dead by the pool, having jumped from their balcony, Ethan is thrust into a dangerous world or conspiracy and murder. Sandra's death is eventually pinned on Ethan and he's forced to go on the run to find the person responsible and stop a deadly attack from killing thousands. 
You can find To the Wolves at your favorite retailer here. 



Sins of the Mother: An Ethan McCormick Novel
Since I don't want to ruin the events of the first book, I'll give a brief description of the sequel. Ethan takes a missing child case only to learn the truth is darker and much more twisted than he could have ever imagined. 
You can find Sins of the Mother at your favorite retailer here. 


Death Can Wait
Luke and Renee Walker spend a week in Brazil on vacation. When their friends offer to let them return home aboard their luxury yacht, they couldn't be more thrilled. Until a storm smashes the yacht to pieces and thrust Luke and Renee overboard. They was ashore an island and learn they are not alone. The men who rule this island don't like outsiders and they will stop at nothing to protect their island. Luke and Renee must evade the inhabitants while trying to escape the island. 
You can find Death Can Wait at your favorite retailer here. 


Getaway
A family vacation turns deadly when a hooded figure starts to terrorize those in the cabin. Nobody knows who to trust and eventually the family turns on each other. Murder, betrayal, and adultery rip the family apart. 
You can find Getaway at your favorite retailer here. 


Echoes of the Past 
Sasha and her nine year old daughter, Tara, move to a small town in Maine for a fresh start. When someone starts murdering the people there, the town suspects Sasha. The local sheriff knows she's innocent but the town doesn't listen. They take matters into their own hands and kidnap Tara, using her as bait. Sasha must do everything she can to get her daughter back, flee the town, and fight a monster from her past. 
You can find Echoes of the Past at your favorite retailer here. 




If you've read any of my books above, please consider leaving a review. They really help us authors out a lot. You can leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or whichever retailer you choose! I hope you enjoyed this introduction to my books! Let me know in the comments which book was your favorite. And are you looking forward to my upcoming paranormal thriller? Want to know more about it? Sign up for my monthly newsletter where I share first looks at the book I'm currently writing. 

The story goes, a secret dungeon was found in 1883 behind a secret wall in the back of the fort. Two skeletons were found shackled to the wall and were identified as one man and one woman. Rumors of a secret love affair between a Colonel's wife and a captain blossomed. When the colonel found out, he had them chained to a wall in the bowels of the Castillo and walled them up alive. Were the long lost lovers found that day? 

Maybe not. But it makes for a good creepy story, right? I've visited the Castillo many times over the years and I've been in the very room which is dubbed "the lover's dungeon" and have never seen this story or heard it from tour guides. There's a lot of haunted history pages online which speak to its truth but it seems like there isn't any true evidence of this secret dungeon. 

The Castillo de San Marcos, however, was used as a prison for a long portion of its history. Many Native Americans were imprisoned there in 1875. Many people died at the Castillo, regardless of the lover's rumor being true or not. 

This haunted history makes it the perfect place for my upcomong paranormal thriller. Jeffrey Raines, Death's bounty hunter. visits this very fort during the first several chapters of my book. I couldn't think of a better backdrop than this. The Castillo is an amazing structure which is well worth a visit if you are ever in St. Augustine, Florida. And if you've heard the story of the lover's dungeon, I'd love to get your take in the comments below. Do you think the story is true? 

Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine, Florida. Named after the river it stands guard over. Fun fact, the Matanzas river gets its name from the Spanish word meaning killings or slaughters because several Protestants were shipwrecked in the 18th century and executed on the spot by Spanish Admiral Pedro Mendez. Seems like a fitting place for spirits to hang out, doesn't it?  

Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in order to control the Matanzas inlet. The inlet was a rear entrance into the city of St. Augustine. The fort was only used once. It fired warning shots to scare away British scouting boats. The twelve ship armada turned around and never attacked the fort. Shots were never fired from Fort Matanzas again. Despite not having seen a lot of action, the small fort is a pretty interesting sight to see in St. Augustine. 

First of all, the admission if FREE so you can't beat that. The only way to get to the fort is by boat which the park rangers graciously provide transport back and forth to. So, best to tip them if you go. Once on the little island which houses the fort, you get the real sense of what it must have been like to be stationed there. Out in the middle of seemingly no where on a river with no communication to the world around you. It's almost impossible to imagine. 

Jeffrey Raines spends some time at this very structure in the opening chapters of my upcoming paranormal thriller. He's there to fight off a wandering spirit as Death's bounty hunter. A certain type of spirit which likes to hide in lonely places such as this has started to prey on the park rangers there. Jeffrey is ordered to put a stop to it. Of course, I won't tell you how the scene plays out or how it ends. You'll have to read the book when it comes out!

If you decide to visit St. Augustine and you love history, check this place out. It's a cool piece of history. Not to mention, you'll literally be stepping into the pages of my book! Stay tuned for more information about this book coming soon! And if you want to read the opening chapter of the book, please consider signing up for my monthly newsletter. This month, readers will get an exclusive look at the first chapter! Not available anywhere else. Click below to sign up. And enjoy these photos I took of Fort Matanzas on my last adventure there!
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Have you been to the above location? I have. It's called Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. Do you know who else has been there? A particular spirit named Jeffrey Raines. If you don't know about Jeffrey, let me give you a little info. 

Jeffrey Raines is the main protagonist of my upcoming paranormal thriller book. He works for Death as her bounty hunter. He reaps souls that wander the Earth and prey on the living. His travels will take him to many locations. This is just but one place he will visit in the book. 

Flagler College is gorgeous. It started as a Hotel in 1888, built by Henry Flagler. It was a luxury hotel for the wealthy. Back then, it was known as the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Words really cannot do this place justice. It's beautiful. If you find yourself visiting St. Augustine, do yourself a favor and take a tour through the building. You won't regret it. Just imagine, staying here in the late 19th century. It must have been jaw dropping back then. Now, it's a beautiful piece of history in the middle of St Augustine. 

And the college serves as a backdrop for my introduction to Jeffrey Raines and the unseen spirit world. I couldn't think of a better place to kick off this series than the oldest established city in America. Check out some more images of Flagler College below. I took them on my last trip out to St. Augustine. And if you want more inside information about my upcoming book, please consider signing up for my monthly newsletter. I will be sharing information, first looks, and more behind the scenes stuff on my newsletter. PLUS get exclusive access to the short story that inspired the book! Click here to join. 

     Ok, so there's this idea rattling around in my brain that I can't stop thinking about. It's a new character, a new book, and a whole new series. I'm not going to be dropping all of the details right now. However, next month's newsletter will be packed with a lot more information. So, if you want to learn more then please consider signing up! You can click here to sign up. 

What I will tell you is the character is named Jeffrey Raines. I held a contest a couple months back to help me pick the last name and Raines was the winner. Jeffrey Raines is a southerner with an interesting job. What is that job? You'll have to subscribe to find that out early. But I will tell you, it does center around the paranormal. And no, he's not a paranormal investigator. 

I am so excited to start writing this book. The story is already planned and there's so much excitement building up over the details. You're going to want to read this book. If you're into thrillers, the supernatural, and everything in-between then you're going to love it. I will end this on a cliffhanger as well. Jeffrey Raines is dead....

​To learn more about this upcoming series, sign up for my monthly newsletter now!

Hello there! 

Happy holidays to you all. Today is Christmas Eve, for those who celebrate, and I thought it would be nice to give you a short break. You're probably hard at work cleaning the house before guests arrive. Or maybe you're wrapping last minute presents. Whatever you're doing, take a short break and take a short read. I've got something fun for you today. 

As you may know, my upcoming novel Deserted is about a group of urban explorers who get trapped in an evil, abandoned town. They don't know what, or whom, to trust as they look for a way to escape. But what you might not know is, the book was inspired by a real trip to some abandoned places with my good friend, Josh. 

Pictured below is the actual abandoned neighborhood we were visiting when the idea sprouted. It was an eerie and interesting place to be. A whole neighborhood had simply up and left. It was like something straight out of The Walking Dead. Every minute we spent there, I thought I might see a zombie shamble around the corner. 

As we explored, which you can find video of over on his YouTube channel here, we started talking about how creepy it would be if something terrible happened. We joked how crazy it would be if we left the neighborhood and went to lunch, only to find ourselves magically back at the neighborhood and unable to leave, much like the movie 1408. And the idea was planted in my mind. 

As you can see above, we found a door riddled with bullet holes. Nothing more than bored gun owners out for target practice. But our imaginations turned it into what if questions. What if something was loose in the neighborhood? What if they were trying to keep something out? What if there was some creature stalking the place? We had a lot of fun with that. 

But that wasn't the only abandoned place Josh and I explored which helped fuel the fire for this book. Possibly my favorite place was an abandoned apartment building on the water. It was beautiful and relaxing. Not good material for a suspense novel, I know. But it did help me get into the mindset of urban explorers and, in fact, inspired the opening scene. 

Without giving too much away, in the first couple chapters of my book the urban explorers are on the roof of an abandoned hospital. The roof is crumbling and dangerous. However, the two carry forward. One of them falls through the roof and nearly to their death but manage to climb back up. 

Now, neither of us fell through the floor at the above location. However, Josh did make it to the roof while I stayed on the ground and I started to wonder what would happen if he fell through the roof or the floor? How would I get to him to help? What would I do? And thus, the scene was born. If you want to see more footage of the abandoned apartment building, check that out here. 

Both days were amazing adventures and I was so glad to be a part of them. I can't thank Josh enough for allowing me to tag along and helping to inspire the idea that is becoming Deserted. I'm still writing the book but it will be available to read next year. I promise you that. If you want to be informed on its progress and when it will be available, consider signing up for my newsletter here. 

I'll let you get back to your preparations for Christmas now. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the journey. Because that's what life is, a journey. And sometimes you have to explore a little and move out of your comfort zone in order to make something special. Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

I'm giving you a reason to Fear the End of Year. My upcoming horror novel is now available for pre-order and its release date is 12-31-2018. That's right, New Year's Eve. You can bring in the new year right, with a good book. And there's a special promotion going on as well. The pre-order price is only .99. If pre-ordering isn't your thing, then pick it up the first week of January, the 1st thru the 7th, and you'll only pay $1.99! After that, the regular price will be $2.99. How can you pass up those deals? Pre-order now while you still can! 

If you need help remembering what this book is about, check out the description below:
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 For Sasha, leaving her abusive husband was almost as hard as living with him. He drinks, beats, and apologizes every day. She was stuck in an endless loop of abuse and regret. Some days she thought about giving up and ending her own life. Though, she couldn’t leave her daughter with that monster.

One day, she left and took her daughter Tara to a small town in Maine called Carlisle. The locals seemed cherry, friendly, and helpful. A typical New England small town. The fresh air and change of environment would be exactly what she and her daughter would need to start a new life. That is until a murderer begins claiming lives and the town becomes suspicious of Sasha. Consumed with fear, the town takes matters into their own hands and Sasha finds herself in a struggle for her life and the life of her daughter. Welcome to Carlisle, Maine. Our Lands Whisper with the Echoes of the Past. 

Back in 2015 I decided to self publish my very first book. It was a thriller novel based on a character I had written short stories of throughout high school. It was titled To the Wolves. Less than two years later I've written a sequel, a stand alone novel, and I have a horror novella coming out this October. I had no idea I would have 4 books published in less than 2 short years. 
But even more surprising is the fan base that has been growing. My followers on my social media pages have been increasing and people I've never met before on Instagram and Twitter were buying my books! I couldn't be more thrilled about this. Then, another milestone came. 100 likes on Facebook! It might not seem like that exciting of an ordeal but it's truly amazing. 
Of course, I can only thank all of you for getting me to where I am now. Without the support of my friends, family, and fans I would not be able to continue doing what I'm doing. Everyone who has been there for me, everyone who has read my books, everyone who has given their feedback or volunteered their time to help me- you are incredible people and you're amazing. 
So, to celebrate the 100 likes on Facebook, I've decided to give away free ebook copies of my latest book Sins of the Mother to anyone who shares this blog post (or the previous post on my Facebook) to Facebook. This page is at 100 but let's see if we can't reach 200 in half of the time! I will also be posting a previously unpublished short story to my Facebook page later this week, so be on the lookout for that! 
​Thanks again, everyone! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and I look forward to many more years of entertaining you all! 

If you haven't heard yet, my latest book published on Friday. It's titled Sins of the Mother and is book two in the Ethan McCormick series. I'm sorry there wasn't a book launch party. Life's been a little busy lately and I didn't have time to do one. Hopefully in the future things will work out better. 
In the meantime, I thought I would give a little info on the Ethan McCormick character and the series as well. So, I present to you, five things you didn't know about the Ethan McCormick series. 

5. Valerie McCormick's name has musical inspiration
I've mentioned before that the Ethan McCormick character came about when I was in high school as part of a writing project in my English class. What you might not know is the inspiration for the name of Ethan's sister. I got the name Valerie from a song by a little band called The Monkees. Maybe you've heard of them? If not, they're the one's to originally perform the song I'm a Believer, well before Smash Mouth. Their song Valerie was one of my favorites as a kid. 

4. There are unpublished short stories with Ethan
Total, there are about 4 short stories featuring the character Ethan McCormick. The first being Miami Hostage where I created him. I wrote two sequels and one prequel story. In the third story, Ethan fakes his death to catch a dangerous criminal. In my book To the Wolves there is a mention of something like that taking place in Ethan's past. The short stories will never be published, save for the first. I might release that one with a special edition of the Ethan McCormick series one day. 

3. Ethan as a teenager
In the prequel short story I wrote, Ethan McCormick is a teenager living in Michigan with his family. There's a deadly shooting at his school that he gets mixed in the middle of. In this story his name is not Ethan McCormick but Brian Balk. His family changes their name at the end and enter witness protection. This idea was scraped long before the novel was written. 

2. Ethan almost never made it to print 
I started writing the first Ethan McCormick novel in high school. I would come home and sit at my computer for hours trying to figure out a plot and how to actually write a book. About four chapters in I deleted everything because I was so unsatisfied with the work. Starting over, I deleted that one too. When I gave up on yet another version of the book, I almost scrapped the idea all together. Luckily, I waited a few years and developed a plot I really loved and looked into self publishing! 

1. Ethan's Death
I had written several short stories based on Ethan McCormick that I almost killed off the character, thinking it was the only place left to go with him. I wrote the story, had him die, and changed my mind a while later. That's how he ended up faking his death instead.


Those are some things about my character Ethan McCormick that you may not have known about. If you did know about any of these, let me know down in the comments. Oh, and that also means you must be a stalker because most of these are unknown facts, so....yeah. Anyway, thanks for reading! 

You can pick up the latest Ethan McCormick adventure as an ebook at most major retailers. The paperback and hardcover coming soon!  

We're on the final countdown everyone! This Friday my new novel, Sins of the Mother, comes out. This is the second Ethan McCormick novel and I know a lot of you have been asking for this since the first one came out. I'm really excited to share this one with you. I think you're going to love it. 
I've also decided to extend out the preorder price through the weekend. Now, you can get it for only $.99 through July 9th without having to preorder. Isn't that exciting? 
I sincerely hope you enjoy this book. It's been a lot of fun writing it and I can't wait to bring you more Ethan McCormick adventures. There's a lot planned for him in the future but I also have a lot of other projects I will be working on soon. Can't wait to give you more on that soon! 

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Wow, I am blown away by some of the reviews I've received on my book Death Can Wait. They have been amazing. I can't say thank you enough to the people who have left such glowing recommendations for my book. It means so much to me and helps me out more than you really know. Seeing these reviews renews my vigor and gets me back to the computer and writing. Thank you so very much for the kind words! 

If you have read my books, please consider leaving me a review on Amazon or Goodreads or your favorite retailer. It really helps out a lot and even makes my day! Thanks for reading everyone! 

Alright, everyone. I'm really hoping to get some good feedback here. Take a look at the above image. It's my book cover for Death Can Wait. I've been receiving some excellent reviews about the book itself but several people have expressed their dissatisfaction with the book cover. Please, let me know what you honestly think about the cover. What do you like about it? What don't you like about it? Every honest answer is encouraged as it will help to make my future book covers better! Thank you everyone for your support and help. Also, if you have read the book, please consider heading over to Amazon or Goodreads and leave it a review. It really helps out a lot! Thanks for reading.  

I realize I promised this cover on Saturday, April 1st. I could say it was an April fools joke, but in reality I forgot. So.......I will be revealing the book cover today. 

My new novel, Sins of the Mother, is the second book in the Ethan McCormick series. First, how about a little more info on the book? Here is the synopsis:

  The life of a private investigator is not a glamorous one, nor is it exciting. Ex-Miami police officer Ethan McCormick learned that the hard way. His cases are low profile and rather boring. All of that changes when a desperate mother and father reach out to him. Their eight year old son, Desmond, is missing. 
When the mother, Laura, becomes a prime suspect in the case, Ethan decides to do what he can to find the missing child and find those responsible. He follows the trail of murder and deception to find the truth. The truth, however, is darker than he could have ever possibly imagined.  ​

What do you think? Sound good? Are you going to read it? Let me know in the comments below. As always, I love hearing from you guys! 

Alright, without further delay. Here is the reveal of the book cover.



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My last character interview was met with a pretty good reception so I thought I would give the main character time of his own. Ethan McCormick will feature in his next adventure later this year in Sins of the Mother. In the meantime, here is an interview with him. 

First, what is your occupation? 
I'm a private investigator now. I used to work for the Miami Police Department before that. Most of my time is given to corporations on worker's comp claims and the other half of my time is dedicated to cheating spouses. 

Why did you leave your job as an officer? 
It's a long story, really. The short version, there were things I didn't like about it all. Things I would have wanted handled a different way. I guess I lost faith in the system, somewhat. 

Would you say your current job is exciting? 
With the way it's portrayed in movies you would think so. Unfortunately, it's not all gun fights and car chases. I had more of that when I was a cop. But there is a certain type of thrill when you tail a target and they don't know you're there. I know, doesn't sound that glamorous does it? 

What tools do you use on the job? 
Well, I always carry a handgun with me, well most of the time that is. Old habit from my police days. Like I said, I don't use it very often. Other than than, I've always got my camera, a recorder, a pen and paper, a thermos of coffee, and my phone. Oh and I keep a lock pick in my shoe at all times. You never know when you'll need a lock pick and I like to keep it concealed. Maybe I miss the action a little too much, huh? 

Have you had any high profile cases? 
Not so far. Up until now, everything has been pretty lackluster. I'm still starting out and waiting for those big cases to fall into my lap. I have a feeling one is coming soon. 

What sets you apart from other private investigators? 
I have a lot of experience being a cop so I know where to start during investigations. Although, I'm not able to conduct investigations like a cop anymore. That took a lot of getting used to. Other than that, I've got a few friends within the department still who are always willing to lend a hand and provide favors. It gives me a head start on cases, sometimes.

What was your biggest failure? 
About a year ago I let the woman of my dreams die. I was there, I should have done something about it. She was killed by a dirty cop trying to cover his tracks. I failed her. 

I'm sorry to hear that. How have you moved past this? 
I met another woman not too long ago. She is kind and understanding. She knows there will always be a special place in my heart for Sandra and doesn't try to take that away from me. Also, I try to live my life the way Sandra would want me to. I know she would approve of everything I've done. 

Last question, do you have any siblings? If so, what are they like? 
I have a sister and she's fantastic. We're pretty close. The two of us are always looking out for each other. Valerie has gotten me through some pretty tough times. I love my sister very much. Her husband, Pierce, is pretty great too! 


Ethan McCormick has no idea what's ahead for him in Sins of the Mother. So far his new career has been pretty boring but all of that is about to change. Don't miss Ethan's next adventure later this year (release date coming soon). I hope you enjoyed the interview with one of my favorite characters I've created. If you haven't read his first adventure, To the Wolves, you should check it out! As always, thanks for reading. 

My next novel, releasing this year, will be book two in the Ethan McCormick series. That being said, there's a new character being introduced who is very crucial to the story. I thought it would be fun to introduce him to you in the form of an interview. So, without further delay, Meet Detective Winchester. 

Detective Winchester, what exactly is it you do at the Miami Police Department? 
I work in the Special Victims Unit for the Miami Police Department. As you've said, I'm a detective. 

What is your ideal job? 
A detective, nothing else. That's why I do what I do. 

What is your biggest regret? 
A case I worked a long time ago...it didn't go so well. I'd prefer not to talk about it.

Fair enough, what about on a personal level? 
There was this woman who loved me. She was perfect, she was beautiful. But things started to fall apart and we had a falling out. Really all I'll say about it. 

What do you like best about Ethan McCormick? What do you like least? 
McCormick? The ex-cop turned private eye? There isn't much to say there. He was a cop but things got too tough for him and he gave up. I like least that he's a quitter. In my opinion, it's a good thing he's no longer a cop. The department doesn't need weak people. 

What items do you carry on you at all times? 
Well, being a detective, I've always got my gun on me. Otherwise, wallet and keys, I guess. 

When were you the happiest? 
Before that case a long time ago. Things were better then. 

Do you consider yourself an optimistic or a pessimistic? 
Neither, I consider myself a realist. I don't see the glass as half full or half empty. I see the piss it's filled with. Some people mistake that for pessimism. When you try to see the world in only a positive or negative light you end up missing the gray areas and sometimes they're the most important.   

What are your religious views? 
I was raised to believe in God. After taking this job, I've found it harder to keep that going. Some of the terrible things I've seen, some of the poor kids who were taken from the parents. It's hard to accept an all powerful God would allow these things to happen.

Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or not acceptable?
Well, being an officer, obviously murder is unnacceptable. Self defense is a justifiable reason to kill someone, however. Also, protecting the people you love most. 

How do you deal with stress? 
I do whatever I can to push past it. Instead of getting caught up on stress I focus on my job. 

If your house were on fire, what would you want to save if you could only save one thing? 
The liquor cabinet. 

Last question, after you're gone, what would you want to be most remembered for? 
For always doing what was right. I would want people to remember that I always tried to help, even at my worst. Even when I pushed people away from me, I would want them to remember it was to save others. 


Detective Winchester and Ethan McCormick cross paths in my new novel Sins of the Mother. If you'd like to get even more inside info on my next book then consider signing up for my newsletter. I'll be sharing even more inside info with subscribers. My latest newsletter revealed the first chapter of my new novel. Want to read it? Subscribe today!  

     If you've subscribed to my newsletter then you already know the title of my next Ethan McCormick novel. Otherwise, you're about to find out here. If you want to be among the first to see future titles and even the book cover for this very book, then go ahead and sign up. I'll leave a sign up form below. 

Let's get to why you are here. You want to know the title of my next book. Well, the title of the next Ethan McCormick thriller is.....wait! Did you read the first one? If not, go pick it up, read it and then come back here. Go ahead, I'll wait for you..........................Done? Alright, let's get back to it then! 

The title of the next Ethan McCormick adventure is Sins of the Mother. Great, right? But what does it mean? That, you will have to wait for the release of the book to find out. I can't give you too many details yet but I promise I will soon. Next month, I will be giving out the first chapter for free! Interested? Sign up for my newsletter and you'll be able to read the first chapter. 

I'm very excited for this upcoming release. I don't have a release date available yet but I will soon. This McCormick adventure will be darker than the first and a little bit different. I sincerely hope you like it. I'm sure you will, though! 

Let me know what you think of the title. Do you love it? Maybe you hate it? Have a theory about what the book is about? Please, let me know in the comments below. I'd love to hear it all! Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get the first chapter of Sins of the Mother free next month! As always, thanks for reading! 

I thought I would try something a little different today. If you like it, maybe we'll do more in the future. If not, we can pretend this never happened! So, I present to you, a countdown post of 5 dangers that Luke and Renee Walker face in my novel, Death Can Wait. If you've already read then skip to the ending because you obviously know it all! Show off! 

Number 5:DROWNING
First, and foremost, they face the terrible danger of drowning. During the course of their story, Luke and Renee are thrown overboard into the stormy, violent ocean. If you've ever accidentally inhaled a lung full of water and gasped for nearly five minutes, certain you were going to die, you know exactly how terrifying this is. Drowning has to be one of the worst ways a person could meet their end. Luckily, for Luke and Renee, they are washed up on an island. That luck doesn't last for very long, however. 

Number 4: DEHYDRATION
I bet you thought number four was going to be murder, right? Why would you think that? Did you read the book? If so, why are you reading this? Well, the very real threat of dehydration doesn't take long to set in. If you washed up on a, seemingly, deserted island without any water, it wouldn't take long for fear to set in. One of your first priorities in this situation is to find some. An island in the middle of the ocean is not guaranteed to have water and no, you can't drink from the ocean. In that case, there are things one can do to collect water from either rain or morning dew. Unfortunately, for Luke and Renee, they don't know these things. 

Number 3: INFECTION
Nope, still not murder. What kind of sick thoughts must you have floating around in that head of yours? An infection in the wild could mean certain death if you don't have any skills to address that wound. Of course, as you've probably guessed, Luke and Renee don't have said skills. It wouldn't take much. If you were climbing a tree in search of coconuts to drink from and fell, breaking a leg, bone protruding from the wound, you could be at risk of infection. A lot of minor injuries could get infected and become life threatening. With no idea if rescue will ever come, they are forced to take chances and deal with the consequences. 

Number 2: STARVATION
I know, I know, you were hoping for murder. Well, murder would be the last thing on your mind when stuck on an island with no hope of getting food. There's no McDonald's in the wild, no delivery service. You have to learn to adapt, catch food to survive. No, Luke and Renee do not have the expertise to create snare traps or craft bows from splintered wood. But, desperate enough, people have the tendency to become crafty. One thing an island should be abundant with? Fish. One must figure out how to catch them. It might be the one shimmering ray of hope for Luke and Renee.  

Number 1: MURDER 
Here you go. Here's the one you've been waiting for. Strange that you've been wanting murder as badly as you seem to. That could be problem, but I won't judge. Now, murder might not be a common threat when marooned on an island. Just hope you never wash up on Isla de Lobos, the island Luke and Renee, unluckily, wash up on in Death Can Wait. There is a colony of men who inhabit the island, loving the freedom from government and outsiders. They prey on neighboring countries, raiding ships for supplies. Luke and Renee are seen as a threat and they want them dead. With no skills, no plan, and no rescue, Luke and Renee fight for their lives! 

You can pick up your copy of Death Can Wait today. The eBook is on sale from now until October 31st for .99¢. Or, if you prefer paperback, you can grab your copy from Amazon, Barnes and Mobile online store or even Books a Million! Get your copy today and let me know if there are any other dangers they face that you would have added to this list!   

**Warning, this post contains spoilers for To the Wolves**

I've always enjoyed reading books like Lord of the Rings or watching movies like all of the Marvel movies. These have really inspired me to create worlds of my own. What I always admired about them was the universe that was created, how all of the individual stories were connected to each other in some way. At the very least, they all happen in the same universe and I have always found that interesting. 
I think Stephen King is one of the biggest examples of this, in literature at least. Many of his books make reference to other characters or other stories. 11/22/63 references Pennywise the clown, The Dead Zone mentions the massacre at Carrie's school, or The Shop, which is a shady government sector that shows up in several of his novels. 
I grew up reading Mr. King's work and drew a lot of influence from him, although I write in a completely different genre. The idea of a shared universe among one's creations always inspired and intrigued me. Because of this, I decided that all of my books would exist in the same universe as each other. 
Which brings me to my point about my latest novel, Death Can Wait. There is a reference to my first novel, To the Wolves. I won't tell you what it is, you'll have to read the books to find it. More surprising, however, is that it makes a reference to a future novel. Again, I won't spoil it but it's a story that I've been working on for a little while now and hoping to get out there soon. For those of you who have read Death Can Wait, or will read it, I will give you a hint. It's a character introduced somewhere near the end of the book. He will be getting his own series. 
My hope is that my readers enjoy these books and also have fun finding the little Easter eggs I leave in them. A sort of connect the dots, if you will. I know I always have fun reading a book and seeing the reference to others.
What do you think? Do you want to find those references? Have you found them already? Let me know in the comments below! And remember, Death Can Wait is on sale from now until October 31st, 2016 for $.99 as an e-book. Pick yours up today! As always, thanks for reading!