Money Money Money



Maggie's office - with Madonna's new puppies!

  

  Greed is one of the biggies, one of the “Thou Shalt Nots,” but human nature continues to err on the side of “I want more.”

Not so good if you desire peace on earth, but great news if you’re a mystery writer like me. Using people’s foibles is a time-honored means of moving a story along.

My Cleopatra Jones mystery series is based on a small town amateur sleuth who has expertise in accounting. Her insider knowledge comes in handy when she’s on a case.

In my brand new book in the series, On the Nickel, Cleo is propelled into action when Mama’s nemesis, the church lady from hell, is found dead by hit and run – and Mama’s Olds has a person-sized dent in the front.

Tension between the two seniors had been rising of late, and the church lady had even filed a police report citing Mama with terroristic threats. Cleo is in a bind. She knows that when people get cornered, they strike out and do terrible things. The church lady had cornered Mama, that’s for sure, but had Mama lashed out?

Cleo needs to know. The clock is ticking because the police are closing in on Mama. The only thing Cleo knows is that Mama is lying to her.

While Cleo digs around in the church lady’s life, she finds financial discrepancies. Money is a problem – the church lady is flat broke. The more Cleo digs, the more the noose tightens around Mama’s neck. Can she save her mother from the slammer?

Here’s a snip from the story:

The events of the day returned in a rush as I locked my car. I ticked them off on my fingers.

One, there had been a vehicular accident at the church. Two, Erica Hodges was dead. Three, Mama had a history of run-ins with Erica Hodges. Four, on Monday I listened to Mama and Erica Hodges exchange insults in public. Five, Mama’s whereabouts today were a mystery and her over-the-top behavior even more of a mystery.

I don’t know what made me look at her Oldsmobile. Honestly, I don’t know why I looked at all. But I did. And then I wished I’d gone straight inside the house and minded my own business.

The motion-detector light on the corner of the house had activated when I pulled into the driveway. The parking pad was now brightly illuminated.

I touched the jagged safety glass of Mama’s shattered headlight cover. A suffocating sensation tightened my throat at the large indentation in her not-so-shiny bumper. The hood of her car mounded in the middle, pushed back from the leading edge. This car had hit something.

Or someone.

Dread charged through my veins, taking my breath away. Fear clawed at my heart, dragging me down to a place where I didn’t want to go. Dazed and bewildered, I staggered over to my Volvo for support. The hood warmed my cold fingers.

This was very, very bad.

Unthinkable.

The pieces of the puzzle resolved in my head. With each connected piece, the picture became clearer. Mama and Erica. Rivals and combatants. Mama alive. Erica dead. Mama’s car damaged. Erica dead.

Even to a rank amateur like me, the evidence pointed to a devastating conclusion. I shook my head in disbelief. This was Mama I was talking about. She was stubborn, opinionated, and bossy, and those were her finer qualities.

Stars twinkled in the night sky overhead. Crickets chirped in the darkness. A light went on in my next-door neighbor’s kitchen. A diesel pickup truck rumbled past on Main Street. And I stood beside my mother’s damaged car in my driveway.

Ordinary things. Trivial things

But my life wasn’t ordinary or trivial any longer.

A cold-blooded killer lived under my roof.

--

Maggie Toussaint

On The Nickel

Five Star / Cengage ISBN 9781594149542

Available for order at Amazon, $25.95

www.maggietoussaint.com http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/

Maggie Toussaint is a native Georgian who had a nearly 30-year sojourn in Maryland. While there, she tried her hand at golf and spent many hours chasing white balls in the woods. That experience imprinted on her vivid imagination and had her thinking, what if there was a dead body out here? That idea led to the first Cleopatra Jones book, In For A Penny. On The Nickel is off to a great start with reviews by Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly. Maggie also writes romantic suspense, with four books out now. Check www.maggietoussaint.com for excerpts, reviews, stunning covers, and buy links for each title.

Request these titles at your library!

Holy Toledo, Batman! Kirkus Loves Us!

Omigosh and halellujah! When a nice review comes in, it is truly time to celebrate. My publisher forwarded me the review out today from Kirkus for ON THE NICKEL, my brand new mystery. It's out now through the publisher's website, and it will be available through online stores such as Amazon and B&N on April 6.

Anyhoo, I'm dancing around coastal Georgia like Snoopy doing the happy dog dance. Without further ado, here's the KIRKUS review:


Just when life is finally improving for divorced accountant Cleopatra Jones, a secret from the past reaches out to bite her Mama.


After years of putting up with rude, pushy behavior from town doyenne Erica Hodges, Cleopatra Jones' Mama finally blows her top at a church meeting. When Erica is found run over in the church parking lot, Mama is naturally a prime suspect. Since her friend Detective Britt Radcliff seems stuck on Mama as the guilty party, Cleo is forced to investigate Erica's death. But Mama refuses to explain the recent damage to her car Cleo has noticed. At the same time, Cleo has her hands full with her cheating ex-husband, who's trying to get her back, her heavily pregnant Saint Bernard and her sexy golf pro, Rafe Golden, who's improving more than her game. Once she finds time to investigate, Cleo learns that not only was Erica hated by most everyone who knew her, including her two children, but that after running through a large fortune, she'd been getting along by indulging in blackmail. Mama's feud with Erica goes all the way back to their early boyfriends, one of whom Mama is now secretly dating again. When Mama's car is identified as the murder weapon, she's arrested, and Cleo must put herself in danger to ferret out the truth.


The second in this amusing and romantic series (In for a Penny, 2008) is a welcome addition to the cozy ranks.

I'm grinning like all get out. What a wonderful review!
 
Maggie Toussaint
a Georgia peach

Giving Back



George Eshilman, Maggie Toussaint, Wally Orrel

 This past week, I spoke at the Rotary Club in my hometown. The invite flumoxed me at first as this is a group of folks who help others in a very big way. I'm guilty of scheduling myself to the max, so that there's no time leftover for one more thing.

To prepare, I started thinking of giving back and helping others, and I was delighted to realize I had something to say. Now there's no way I give "Service Above Self" like the Rotarians, but I'm not a total slacker either.

About 4 years ago, I wrote, produced, and starred in a mini-series for local access TV on literacy. It was a blast, and I really enjoyed creating the programs. However, 25 minutes of air time equated to more than ten hours per week of prep-work. After I did about 5 shows, I had done all I could do without giving up my paying day job. But it was a community service.

Within the writing realm, I've helped beginning writers with critiques and advice.  I donated the profits from No Second Chance to a horse rescue farm.Outside of writing, I've helped at church, cooked meals for shut-ins, served on the Library Board, wrote newsletters for non-profits, and tutored elementary students.

I'm not saying this to toot my horn, but to seed the helping ground. Chime in and let me know of ways you've helped others. Maybe we'll spark a wave of helping!

Maggie Toussaint
Seeing Red - the bed and breakfast that almost wasn't
$2.99 in all digital formats
http://www.smashwords.com/

A story reborn!

I'm in the process of bringing an early publication back out as an e-book and a trade paperback. SEEING RED is the story of Emma and Quentin and their quest for love.

I'm pleased to say I have a wonderful cover, courtesy of Laura Shin! Take a look for yourself - I hope you like the new "sweeter" look for this classic story. I've always loved staying in Bed and Breakfasts and I loved that movie "The Money Pit." If you've ever done any rennovation, you know what a nightmare it can be.

In Seeing Red, Emma needs to rehab an old property and Quentin's her man. Or he wants to be. She's not sure she wants his attention, but he's keen on building a lasting foundation with her.

Coming soon: SEEING RED!

Maggie Toussaint

Great Reviews for Muddy Waters!!!

I'm delighted to announce that Muddy Waters is launched to great acclaim! It is so heartening when a reviewer (and readers!) "get" what you've put down in book form. I'm honored to have so many excellent reviews to post. Here's an abbreviated snip from each of the reviews I've received on this romantic suspense to date.

Fantastic Read! Maggie Toussaint does an amazing job of foreshadowing as she weaves together a tapestry of suspense, mystery, small community life, and love while bringing into clear focus the overt and covert conflicts both Roxie and Sloan try to resolve. Ms. Toussaint’s writing style with superb imagery, exquisite description, and a touch of humor make Muddy Waters enthralling reading. Muddy Waters satisfies that hunger for a love that promises a happy-ever-after. – Long and Short Reviews, LASR BOOK OF THE WEEK. Full review at Long and Short Reviews


Great book, wonderful mystery and a red hot love story underlying it. Roxie and Sloan really mix it up in and out of the bedroom and that is what makes for a great romance. You can’t ask for more than that now can you? – Mary Gramlich, The Reading Reviewer. Full review at Mary Gramlich Blogspot

Couldn’t stop reading! Five stars! Toussaint’s book is a delightful, contemporary romance spiced with a mystery that keeps you guessing whether the Harding fortune exists or if it was jut a figment of a drunken imagination. Sloan and Roxie’s relationship unfolds in a natural way that draws the reader into their story. And the barriers between them and happily ever after are so organic to their personalities and their past that the reader truly wonders if these two will be able to work it out. – Keena Kincaid, author of Enthralled. Full review posted at Amazon.com

Toussaint pens a pleasant read for a nice fall afternoon. With its home realty and repair subplot, the author obviously knows her stuff. – Cindy Himler, Romantic Times Magazine

5 stars! A great book! I read Muddy Waters in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. You’ll feel the same way. The Georgia background rings true, with its small town clannish-ness, everyone knowing everyone else’s business, and never accepting that a leopard can change its spots or a miscreant should be allowed to live down his past. Both Roxie and Sloan are well-done; each is shown to be a strong character in his/her own right, while acting completely opposite to beliefs in relation to the other. The dialogue is smart and realistic, the progression of the story believable. Mac the dog is a delight. – Reviewer Icy Snow Blackstone. Full review at Book Reviews by Icy Snow

Muddy Waters is a fascinating story about Roxie and Sloan who both have ancestral history that intertwines as the story moves on. There are several layers to this story with a mystery surrounding money, Roxie having strange things happen to her, and Sloan whose company stopped a hacker attack with no leads on who did it. I thought Maggie Toussaint wrote the characters with a believability that captures the hearts of readers. – Emily, Single Titles. Full review at SingleTitles.Com

Muddy Waters was a great read and I can’t help but think of it time after time even after I’m done. Toussaint’s writing is crisp and easy to read. The plot is tight, filled with plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes. One of the most endearing aspects of the story is how Toussaint captures the authenticity of small town America, giving delicious depth to the setting and characters. – Steph Burkhart, author of Romance under the Moonlight. Full review posted at Amazon.com

Five Stars! Muddy Waters is another great read from award winning Maggie Toussaint. Small town setting and attitudes color the story and carry the plot to its conclusion. You won’t want to put it down until you reluctantly turn the last page. – Reviewer JJD as seen at Amazon.com


Maggie Toussaint’s Muddy Waters is a romantic suspense novel that draws the reader into the story from the first page with the pull of the tide against the Georgia coast. This is a fun read and a delightful break from some heavy tomes. – Nash Black, author of Haints. Full review posted at Nash-Black.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for your support and for accompanying me on this publishing odyssey!

Maggie Toussaint
http://www.maggietoussaint.com/

Muddy Waters - successful blog tour

My recent release Muddy Waters is making a great showing. I'm very excited by the reviews that I've received, which I'll recap in a later post.

At my first Muddy Waters signing this past weekend, 40 books were autographed - pretty darned fabulous by my standards!

I mounted a supercharged blog tour to promote the release. I'll provide a recap here for those.

On Oct. 25, Vicki Hinze posted chapter 1 of Muddy Waters at her Chapter1Zone. Elise Stone won a copy of Muddy Waters. Congratulations Elise! http://web.mac.com/vickihinze/Chapter1Zone.com/Home.html



Also on Oct. 25, I was a guest at Long and Short Reviews, where I blogged about heroes who make you go ahhh. http://lasrguest.blogspot.com/2010/10/guest-blog-maggie-toussaint.html



On Oct. 26, I hosted a discussion on the Sisters In Crime yahoo loop about expectations.

That same day, I appeared as a guest on the SOS Aloha Blog, another interview, where I got to dish about the south and what part southern culture and conflict play on the stage of my books. Kim's blog is a great place to visit. http://sosaloha.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-10-27T20%3A28%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7



Oct. 27 found me at Between the Lines, Carol Ann Erhardt's blog, talking about Muddy Waters.
http://carolannerhardt.blogspot.com/2010/10/muddy-waters-by-maggie-toussaint.html

On Nov. 2, I returned to LASR for an interview where I got to talk about handwriting and the south. Joelle won an ebook copy of Muddy Waters. http://longandshortarchives.blogspot.com/2010/11/author-interview-maggie-toussaint.html

I hit Liana's place next and I had a blast talking about the kayaking trip that provided a key story moment for Muddy Waters. There are lots of photos too! http://lianalaverentz.blogspot.com/2010/11/maggie-toussaint-talks-about-muddy.html


Next up was my appearance at Between The Lines hosted by Linda Coker where I wrote a character interview of Sloan Harding, the leading man of Muddy Waters. I had many interesting comments on this one! http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/2010/11/author-maggie-toussaint-guest-blogs.html



I blogged all week long from Nov. 7 to 14, that's right, 7 posts, about my writing journey. Allie, the site host, was amazed that I had comments throughout the week. Thanks so much to loyal fans for slogging through my personal history and the nuances for registering at this site! This was at Novelspotters in their Behind the Scenes feature: http://novelspot.net/node/3515 is the first column.



Over at the Lovestruck Novice, I blogged on Nov. 15 about obstacles in writing and the importance of Point of View. http://thelovestrucknovice.blogspot.com/2010/11/lovestruck-novice-welcomes-maggie.html

Whew! That was some marketing campaign. I had a lot of fun and made some new friends who I hope will be along for the entire ride.

Maggie Toussaint

www.maggietoussaint.com

Baby Thoughts or a min-baby rant

With a new baby boy in the house we've been supplying words to the baby's every gesture, movement, diaper change, etc. While I have no way to knowing if any of this goes through a baby's head, I thought it might be entertaining to put down in a blog. Here we go:

What's with the brightness and the cold air? I liked it better when it was all warm and the light never changed. Heck I didn't even know what light was until a few days ago. I just enjoyed my cozy little den. Now I'm out here in the open, and it's not the same at all. I make little noises to show my discomfort and get lots of handling, but none of them seem to get it. Put me back in my baby-cave! That womb was just how I liked it. There was none of this clothes and diapers stuff, none of this sour liquid that burns up my throat.

Speaking of liquid, why does milk come in one flavor? Why isn't there a rainbow of flavors so that I'd get a little variety? Hour after hour, it's the same thing. Milk milk milk. I hate that I love it so much. Except for when it comes back on me. Then I want those curdles out of my mouth. Bleeck!

These people keep wrapping me up real tight and putting little hats on me. I've about got the hang of removing the hat. A few turns of the head and an arch of my back and the dreaded hat slips right off. Course, they keep putting it back on. It appears my staff aren't trainable. And the swaddling, Lord, I hate that. Don't they know I need to stretch out when I sleep? My right hand belongs right up next to my face, where I like it so that I can suck on my wrist when I like. A couple of times I outfoxed them and slipped my arm out of my sleeve and got it in position, but darn it all, they clothed me back up, wrapped me tight, and I fell asleep. Drat. I hate it when that happens.

Now they've got me in a sleep sack. Why didn't they think of this at first? To heck with wrapping me up like a tootsie roll in three blankets. In the sack, I'm warm as toast, and I can move my arms, thank you, Jesus. God bless the man who engineered sleep sacks.

And while we're engineering stuff, can we get a warmer for the baby wipes? Those things are cold, real cold, and I get startled and sometimes pee when I get wiped, then the whole clothing thing starts all over again. Can't they just let me be? I can hardly get any sleep for all these clothes changes. I'm not a fashion model.

Why don't they ask me my opinion? I'd tell them. Favorite position? In mama's arms. Favorite song? Silent Night. Favorite meal? Milk (Hey, i'm a one-trick pony at meals). Favorite blanket? Baby sack. Favorite diaper changer? My dad. He understands about boy parts. Favorite person? Mom (Hey Mom!). She makes the food. She's the best. Favorite dog? My Maddy. She likes to smell everything. I've got a pretty good smeller too. Least favorite thing? Hiccups.

And let me do a language decoder too. Big cry means I'm pissed. Little cry means you've got about twenty seconds before the big one comes, so hop to it. Whimper means I'm not ready to wake up but some lousy body process is happening. Clearing the throat and little grunts means I want my arms out. Enough with the swaddling folks. My arms need to express themselves.

See? Not much to this baby stuff. Now hold me again. I need a cuddle as I fall back to sleep.

- -
That's my take from a two-week old infant. Sound familiar?

Maggie Toussaint
www.maggietoussaint.com