Wednesday, November 13, 2013

the new cover to the next Max Larkin Detective Series of books.  I hope to have it on the shelves in about 3-4 weeks.


Saturday, July 20, 2013

Fran Speake and her new book, Daughter of the King: Finally Free

Hello all it has been awhile since I posted but I have been busy working on my new case. This killer is confusing and very smart.  I hope to solve it soon.  When I do finally catch him I will let you all know.

 Recently I was talking to my friend Fran Speake.  She has a new book coming out, Daughter of the King: Finally Free.  I asked her a lot of questions, as a good detective does, and here are her answers.  Check out her new book at the bottom of the page

What inspired you to write your first book?

It was actually an event that happened at work, on my first day at a new job. I had been through a nasty divorce and custody battle and the judge had been very unfair to me, unreasonable and not just at all. Well on this first day at this new job I had a patient who was a young 23 year old male, in an almost catatonic state from a closed head injury due to a skiing accident and he turned out to be the judge's son! I WAS IN SHOCK to say the least. Through prayer, trying to figure out how and why this boy would come in to my care, recognizing divine intervention, God said your gonna write a book.

How long have you been writing?

I've been journaling since 2004. I initially hired a ghostwriter to write the book and very quickly in to that arrangement I could easily see that it was not working. Her writing was flat and non descriptive and so I fired her and I began writing. Little did I know that all this healing was going to come from me writing the story and that it's what God wanted all along, for me to get better.

What inspires you to write?

Pain. That is what started the whole writing process for me but as I write now, I see a lot of gratitude. Matter of fact when I am too “down”, I know I need to go to my journal and make a gratitude list, that is the thing that puts everything in perspective.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

It's everything. My whole story wouldn't be near as interesting or have so many people relate if not for all the dysfunction, neglect and abuse. But I also know so many people have it worse, we at least, were not raised in poverty on top of everything else.

When did you first know you could be a writer?

When I received the email from the editor at Tate Publishing and she said how good my book was. Like I wrote it and sent it and then hoped for the best and I was the most shocked when she said it was good, and then part of me still thought she's just saying that, she doesn't mean it. And then people started reading my book when it was done, and 100% of them said the same thing, I couldn't put it down. I now know I can write so much more. I have a collection of poems I have been writing since 2006 but have never shown them to anyone.

Do you intend to make writing a career?

I hope to. I am in prayer about it and believe God would not have given me this talent and then not let me use it, and use it full time.

Have you ever had writer's block and if so what did you do about it?

Yes when I was 80% done with the book, I got writer's block and for a few weeks I couldn't break it or write a thing. So I went to Austin for a friend's mom's funeral and while there I went out to Lake Travis and watched the sun come up, prayed and brought my laptop. After an hour or so of just watching nature wake up, come alive that morning, I began to write and whoa, I couldn't stop. It just kept coming and coming and then my battery went dead, but hey writer's block was cured!!

How did you come up with the title?

When I began getting to know God, study His word and build my relationship with Him, I would still get upset with worldly things. I had a boyfriend at the time who would remind me who I am, daughter of the king. He would tell me remember who your dad is, a king. And that would always bring me comfort because I came from such a dysfunctional background and never belonged anywhere so to hear I was daughter of the king, well that was music to my ears. God had already performed miracles on my behalf and the thought that He would take care of me, provide my financial needs as well as any other need, well that was comforting, I never had anyone, including parents, ever be there for me and love me unconditionally. It was the exact opposite, it was always conditional. And so I scratched my original title, Running with the Devil Straight in to God's Arms(I was married to Van Halen's cousin) and chose Daughter of the King: Finally Free, the Finally Free subtitle being the truth about me today, I am finally free of so many things that had a stranglehold on me.

What's my favorite place in the entire world?

Hawaii, specifically Kihei or Lahania, Maui.

Get Fran's Book on July 30th, 2013.

Here is the cover for those of you that are just as excited as I am to see it.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Today I am going to take a break from my busy schedule and talk to Maggie David, author of Popsie Finds A Family.



Maggie, what can you tell all of us about you and your book?

Hmm, what can I say about myself, and why I adore writing.  I think it all came about when I was a tiny child in Hampshire UK, and adored books.

 I can remember back to when I was about 5 and sitting with my Dad (who was an avid reader) at the table reading my books.  As I grew older, I devoured anything I could get my hands on, Enid Blyton of course was very much in my library, with me reading everyone of her books, and placing them with pride in our huge book case in our “SittingRoom”.  TV did not then, nor today hold any fascination for me. It was books! Books opened my eyes and made me realise that words were “Special”. They can bring joy, bring sadness, bring smiles, bring frowns and tell stories. The words in one book, can conjure up images of characters, which can be different for each person reading, words to me are awe inspiring.

I became what I would call a Lifetime student.  I have my degree in Social Work  and Psychology in which I worked for many years, plus diplomas in Alternative medicine, including, Aromatherapy, Physiology and Anatomy, Massage and other alternative healing practices all gained whilst raising my children.  Yes, I combined, a career, study, being a wife, mother, and all that entails – very satisfying.
Once my children had grown and left home, and started lives of their own, I took stock of the next phase in my life, and decided I would re-invent myself once more and become an author, and allow my writing to be seen by the world.
My newly released Children’s Series “The Adventures of Popsie and Friends” is my current release.
It combines my love and passion for dogs of which I have 4 all saved from the local Animal Shelter.
Popsie Finds A Family is book one the series:

In all the books, every exciting adventure ends happily, but teaches valuable life lessons and wholesome values along the way, which I feel is important for the children who read the books. 

It stars, Popsie a Silky Terrier cross puppy who is full of energy and mischief and her sister Willow, 2 brothers JD and Churchill who are constantly getting into mischief and having fun.
This book and other books in this series are ideal children stories for ages 3-5 for you to read to, or help them read, or a little older  6-8 if they read for themselves, as every book is written in a format where children can easily follow the story line, which Popsie tells herself.
In this book “Popsie finds a family” it tells the true story of how she came to be adopted by me and my family. During this story, she has adventures, which will enthral the reader (including Moms and Dads) and take them through a whole range of emotions, plus teach some life skills that parents can reinforce with their children.
Many children’s story books are written about fictitious puppies and dogs. However, Popsie and her sister and brothers and her friends that come into later books are real. The stories are based on the mischief the 4 get into in my huge garden and house, along with grandson and soon to be a grand children as my daughter is having twins soon!
Written to enthral, written with life lessons weaved into the story, I know Popsie and her Friends will win a place in your hearts.
Before I go, I wish to thank Max Larkin for this wonderful opportunity to ramble on about myself.
The adventures of Popsie and Friends can be purchased by Clicking on this Link
My authors page is also  http://amazon.com/author/maggiedavid where you can see other books I have written.

About Popsie Finds A Family:
Welcome to the Adventures of Popsie and Friends, where every exciting adventure ends happily, but teaches valuable life lessons and wholesome values along the way.
Starring Popsie a Silky Terrier cross puppy who is full of energy and mischief and her sister Willow, 2 brothers JD and Churchill who are constantly getting into mischief and having fun.
This book and other books in this series are ideal children stories for ages 3-5 for you to read to, or help them read, or a little older if they read for themselves, as every book is written in a format where children can easily follow the story line, which Popsie tells herself.
In this book “Popsie finds a family” it tells the true story of how she came to be adopted by the author and her family. During this story, she has adventures, which will enthral the reader (including Moms and Dads) and take them through a whole range of emotions, plus teach some life skills that parents can reinforce with their children.
Many children’s story books are written about fictitious puppies and dogs. However, Popsie and her sister and brothers and her friends that come into later books are real. The stories are based on the mischief the 4 get into in the authors large garden and house, along with the authors grandchildren.
Written to enthral, written with life lessons weaved into the story, we know Popsie and her Friends will win a place in your hearts.
Author Bio:
From a tiny child I have always loved books. I can remember back to when I was about 5 and sitting with my Dad(who was an avid reader) at the table reading my books. Books opened my eyes and made me realise that words were “Special”. they can bring joy, bring sadness, bring smiles, bring frowns and tell stories. the words in one book, can conjure up images of characters, which can be different for each person reading, words to me are awe inspiring.
As I grew up writing became one of my passions, and still is to this day.
My childhood was rich with wonderful experiences of playing in woodlands and fields with my cousins surrounded by my dogs (which are one of my passions)in England, being taught by my Grandad who was a Master Baker and Grannie how to grow foods, raise animals, produce jams, pickles and cakes that melt in your mouth, then travelling with my parents to the other side of the world to live.
I have been a lifetime student gaining many, many qualifications in several fields of expertise, this knowledge plus my childhood memories and lessons have enriched my writing as I can share with others those memories, my knowledge and my stories.
I adore telling stories to children about my 4 dogs, especially one “Popsie” a little mischief maker, and plan to bring these to life in children’s books.
I own the following business Oils Of the Earth Pty Ltd. Plus have many successful websites.
I am also very proud to say I am a member of World Wide Who’s Who Member ID #
Learn more about the author and follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
Buy the Book On Amazon.
http://twitter.com/maggiedavid

 

Monday, May 27, 2013

"Time Killer" Scholarship

Todd M. Thiede is going to set up a scholarship for the 3 High Schools in the Elgin area.  Larkin High, Elgin High, and South Elgin High will all be getting the opportunity of getting a scholarship for one of their students in 2014.  Todd will be donating 5% of all net sales to the scholarship.  The scholarships will go to the student that shows the most potential in creative writing.

Thanks and pass this on to anyone and everyone. www.toddthiede.com

Todd M. Thiede

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Good morning everyone.  Today I am going to talk to a friend of mine named Maggie Thom. She is the author of a new book "Tainted Waters".  Click the link at the bottom of the page and get her kindle book today.  

Without further ado here is my interview with Maggie,

Tell us a bit about your family. I am lucky to be married to my best friend. We have twin, teenage kids – a boy and a girl. We live on an acreage in the country outside a small town. We have a cat and a dog.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? Besides my family, for me I’d have to say where I’m at in life. Publishing my first novel, which took a long time and meant climbing over a lot of fear and overcoming a lot of limiting beliefs about myself.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world? To sit beside or hike alongside a flowing stream, creek or river, preferably near waterfalls. I love going to the Rocky Mountains and exploring nature there.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? I think the freedom I had growing up. My siblings and I were always out hiking in nature, exploring and having wonderful adventures. I think that curiosity and love of exploring and trying something new all played into how I write and what I write about.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? No idea really. I loved to read and so did most of my family. I think it was curiosity to see if I could write something that I’d like to read. I’m quite sure though it didn’t come from my English class in high school, I always felt lost and 4 pages behind everyone else. :) Although I did run into my English teacher several years ago and told her I was writing, she was thrilled.

When and why did you begin writing? I’m sure it was curiosity and boredom that started me writing. I grew up on a farm, 15 minutes from town, so in winter when it was too miserable to be outside and I was tired of reading or playing games with my siblings, I wrote. I think that my interest in writing became stronger when I entered my teens, because most of my siblings were older and were doing their own things or were moving out of home and on with their own lives.

How long have you been writing? I started playing at it at a young age, preteen for sure. And I dabbled with it over the years, more for amusement for myself but about 18 years ago, I really decided that I wanted to write and so started exploring what that meant for me.

When did you first know you could be a writer? Such a tricky question, one that I honestly don’t know how to answer. I love to write. I have written everything from poetry, to children’s stories to adult stories and everything in between. I always said I wrote but not that I’m a writer. I’m not sure what that distinction means but let’s just say it took me a very long time to recognize the fact that I am a writer.

What inspires you to write and why? Everything. Everything that I see, hear, taste, smell, touch, triggers or can when I let it, a whole raft of ideas and scenes and story lines. Sometimes I just play with them for fun but other times I really like where it’s going and need to put it down on paper. Sometimes I just write to get some ideas out so that new ones will come in :) . Sometimes it is just a great way to pass the time. If I don’t have a book that I’m enjoying at the moment or I feel like doing something else, I write.

What genre are you most comfortable writing? I’d have to say suspense. I love reading it and have learned how to write it. I love crafting this tangled web that doesn’t unwind until you reach the end of the story.

Who or what influenced your writing once you began? I have had a lot of people influence my writing, from other authors and writer’s to friends, to family to readers. Beyond that I’d have to say that the writing courses and instructing that I’ve taken and the types of books that I like to read (suspense) all started to make sense and everything clicked so that I was able to write the type of book that I wanted.

Who or what influenced your writing over the years? The authors that I love to read definitely had an impact on how and what I write. An instructor that I had taught me a lot. But the biggest influence has been the people who kept encouraging me – my family and my friends. Because of them I kept working at being a better writer – reading, getting feedback, joining groups, etc.

What made you want to be a writer? I wanted to be a writer to do something with the ideas in my head. They had to go somewhere, my brain was getting awfully full. I love to weave stories, see where they will go, what can I create. I also wanted to take people on an adventure, a journey and pull them into the story and help them to forget their everyday lives, even for a short period of time.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general? Sometimes it’s just getting my butt in the chair to write and not be distracted by a hundred other things. It is sometimes very challenging just to sit down and do it. Beyond the writing, which in itself isn’t all that challenging, it’s the editing and the marketing and finding the balance to do all of it.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it? I know as a writer that I have lots of ideas and I know that I can write novels but I wasn’t sure until I finished writing Tainted Waters that I could write another suspense novel. And that I could make it different from the first book, Captured Lies and yet make it an exciting page turner as well. I think once every author finishes writing a book and publishes it and it is well received, there is a fear if can they do it again. Can they make the second book as compelling? As interesting? I know this was true for me.

Do you intend to make writing a career? Yes! I love writing and can’t imagine doing anything else. Tainted Waters is my second novel and my third Deceitful Truths will be out in the fall of 2013. I have so many ideas but nowhere near enough time to write them all down. I plan on continuing to write and to publish novels.

Have you developed a specific writing style? I tend to write and write and write. I try to write my whole manuscript before I edit. Or at least I try to. I didn’t used to. I used to stop and edit almost every page as I wrote it. This really stopped the flow of ideas. Now I write and try not to edit until I’m done. However if as I’m writing, I realize that I have put something in the story that doesn’t make sense or quite fit, than I will go back and sometimes I’ll edit but sometimes I’ll just mark it to be dealt with later.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? I think that I write really intriguing plots with lots of twists and turns and a tangled web that pulls the reader in and keeps them turning the pages, wanting to know what happens next.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? Not really. If I’m ever writing and I don’t think something is working than I get up, walk away from it, mull it over and then come back to the story. This is usually very short term. I am finding with writing Deceitful Truths that it is a little more challenging. I have never written a sequel before and I have found it rather difficult to sort out the story with making it fresh and new but keeping some of the characters and settings from the first book, Captured Lies. I think I have it sorted out now but it was a different challenge for me.

 pick this book up at amazon




Product Details

connect with Maggie on facebook
check out Maggie's website

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

***CONTEST***CONTEST***CONTEST***

Enter the TIME WASTER contest by June 30th!



What turns an ordinary person into a murderer? Have you ever been next in line behind the person paying for their mocha latte in pennies? For the serial killer in Todd M. Thiede’s debut novel, Time Killer, it’s time for payback.


Don’t let this happen to you! Vent your frustration in a healthy way. Tell us your biggest “Time Waster” pet peeve for your chance to win! Have a lot encounters with Time Wasters? Enter as many times as you like. Simply write your pet peeve on our wall and like us to enter. Video submissions under 2 minutes also accepted.


The post with the most likes each week will receive and official Time Killer t-shirt. The grand prize winner gets a $25 Amazon gift card, autographed copy of Time Killer by Todd M. Thiede, Time Killer t-shirt, and a clear conscience. Grand prize winner announced July 3rd, 2013.


Official Rules: No purchase necessary to win. Deadline for entries June 30th 2013. Weekly winners announced on Monday of the following week. Grand prize winner announced July 3rd, 2013. You must like Time Killer on Facebook to enter. We reserve the right to disqualify entries for inappropriate language or behavior.


Go to  https://www.facebook.com/thiedetimekiller to post your story and to like "Time Killer"
Hey everyone, Max Larkin here again, I wanted to let everyone know that I am going to have a guest here on May 16th.  Her name is Maggie Thom she is an author just like Todd Thiede. 

Come see her interview with me on the 16th. 

Talk to you soon.

Max

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Hey everyone Max Larkin here. This case is kicking my butt all over the place.  The first 2 murders were brutal but the second one made me cringe.  I hope Jesse and I find this killer quick.I guess I just need to stop taking my work home with me.

Enjoy the day.  You never know when it will be your last.

Max

Friday, April 26, 2013

Max Larkin Detective

Hello everyone,

My name is Max Larkin.  I am a detective in Rockton, Illinois.  We have a population of roughly 7000 people here in Rockton.  Even though our town is small our crimes are big.  I just finished a very intriguing case.  I named it "Time Killer".  This guy went around killing people because they wasted his time.  I couldn't believe the stuff he did.

I had a friend of mine, Todd M. Thiede, write a book about it.  He chose to go along with the "Time Killer" name that I came up with.  He tells the whole story about me and my new partner Jesse Fairlane and how we worked together to catch "Time Killer".

Check out "Time Killer" by Todd M. Thiede at www.toddthiede.com. It is only $1.99 on kindle and nook.

Thanks for your time and whatever you do, don't waste other people's time, you never know how they might react.

Max Larkin

P.S.  I have also asked my friend Todd to write about my new case.  It is a tough one right now and I still haven't solved it but we came up with the title "Lies to Die For"  I hope I catch this killer soon.