featuring guest authors; crafting tips and projects; recipes from food editor and sleuthing sidekick Cloris McWerther; and decorating, travel, fashion, health, beauty, and finance tips from the rest of the American Woman editors.

Note: This site uses Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

#BOOK CLUB FRIDAY – RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A NEW BOOK

Every so often author Lois Winston gives me a break and turns her attention to some other unsuspecting character. Back in 2015 Lois was invited to take part in Kindle Worlds. This was a new program that was basically fan fiction novellas that tied into existing series. Amazon invited various bestselling series authors to take part in the program. Anyone could write a Kindle Worlds novella for any of the chosen series. Authors could use as little or as much of the existing series as they wanted and even change the tone of the series.

To get the program started, Amazon contracted with a group of authors to write the initial set of novellas for each series. Lois was one of the authors asked to write a novella based on author CJ Lyons’ Shadow Ops Series. Mom Squad reimagined the domestic thriller series as a humorous caper.

 

When the program disbanded a few years later, the novella authors were allowed to republish their work with the series author’s permission as long as all references to the original series were removed or changed.

 

I tend to keep Lois busy. She finally got around to updating her novella a few months ago but held off publishing it so it wouldn’t compete with the release of A Sew Deadly Cruise, the latest book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. Mom Squad was expanded and rebranded as Moms in Black, a Mom Squad Caper. Lois calls it a caper, rather than a mystery, because she feels the book is more humorous romantic suspense than cozy mystery. 

 

I’m hoping the book does well because if it does, Lois plans to write two more Mom Squad Caper novellas for a 3-novella series. That would certainly give me a break. After all, if she’s busy writing two more novellas, she won’t have time to pick on me. I’m perfectly happy letting someone else deal with murder and mayhem for a while.


Click here to read an excerpt.

 

Moms in Black

A Mom Squad Caper

 

When Cassandra Davenport applies for a job at www.savingtheworld.us, she expects to find a ‘green’ charity. Instead, she becomes the newest member of a covert organization run by ex-government officials. Dubbed the Mom Squad, the organization is the brainchild of three former college roommates—attorney general Anthony Granville, ex-FBI agent Gavin Demarco, and tech billionaire Liam Hatch—all of whom have lost loved ones at the hands of terrorists. Financed by Hatch, they work in the shadows and without the constraints of congressional oversight, reporting directly to Granville.

 

Demarco heads up one of the six groups that comprise the new operation. He hires Cassandra as the newest member of his New Jersey based team. In the course of monitoring possible terrorist threats, the Mom Squad discovers a link to Cassandra’s ex-husband. Before she’s fully trained, Cassandra is thrust into a world where her ex may be involved with radicalized terrorists bent on killing as many Americans as possible.


And while they’re saving the world from an imminent attack, what in the world will Cassandra do about all that sexual tension simmering between her and her new boss?

 

Buy Links (pre-order now; available 2/8/21)

Kindle 

Kobo 

Nook 

Apple Books 

Paperback (coming soon)


Wishing all our readers a 2021 filled with health and joy and a return to life as we once knew it! Please continue to wear a mask and stay safe until this pandemic is behind us.

7 comments:

Dru Ann said...

Congrats on the new release, Lois. Sorry Anastasia, but we need to read what's going on in your life. Happy New Year

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Dru, you'll be happy to know that over the holidays, instead of stuffing herself with gingerbread and egg nog, Lois was plotting out a new way to get me in trouble. :-(

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

Enjoyed this. Authors do get interesting set-backs, and in this one you certainly made lemonade out of a lemon experience.

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Thanks, Marilyn!

http://mypalbuddee.blogspot.com/ said...

Happy New Year Lois,

And Congrats on your new release, I'm looking forward to picking up a copy.

Author of the My Pal Buddee Series.
https://twitter.com/mypalbuddee2015

http://mypalbuddee.blogspot.com/ said...

Happy New Year Lois,

And Congrats on your new release, I'm looking forward to picking up a copy.

Author of the My Pal Buddee Series.
https://twitter.com/mypalbuddee2015

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Thanks, Vivienne!