The Subway

When I used to live in Montreal, I often rode Le Metro, or subway system, on shopping trips to the downtown area. The underground metro is the main form of public transport in this cosmopolitan city. It’s a convenient way to get around in the winter when snowstorms block streets, and it’s faster than making the same journey by car through heavy traffic.

The metro is such a vital part of Montreal that I mentioned it in several scenes in False Impressions, my first book in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series. Here’s an excerpt from Megan’s point of view after she tumbles into a busy downtown street, and a young man wearing iPod earphones yanks her back to safety:

I returned to my apartment, still debating whether or not I was losing my mind. Had I slipped off the sidewalk because of my own carelessness as the iPod guy had claimed, or had someone pushed me into the traffic on purpose?

I’d heard of similar “accidents” occurring in Le Metro. Whether a pedestrian had been pushed or had jumped in front of a speeding train of their own free will, the result was always the same: It had happened so fast that no one had seen anything. Subway authorities would evacuate the station and shut down the system along that segment of the line while police investigated the incident and maintenance crews cleaned up the mess. Commuters who knew better had adopted the habit of standing along the back of the platform to avoid being pushed in front of a subway car as it sped into the station.

The outcome of my experience paled in comparison, thanks to the iPod guy’s swift reaction. I weighed the possibility he might have shoved me into the street but dismissed it. It would have proved too tricky to maneuver a push from where he was standing beside me. I was convinced the thrust had come from behind.

Want to read more? Click on the Books page on my website to find out where you can get your copy of False Impressions. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone, but this first book will give you a glimpse into the life-threatening events that initially brought Megan and Michael together.

Enjoy the read!

Opening Paragraphs

There are countless articles on how to write the opening paragraphs of a story. To sum it up, the opening paragraphs should hook or invite the reader to visit the world of the story. The imagery conveyed should paint a picture that stirs a reader’s curiosity, wonder, and emotions.

I’m all for achieving effect, so I’ll spend time revising the opening paragraphs until I’m satisfied that the reader will want to read more. I say satisfied because there are umpteen ways to begin a story—time permitting. Seeing that authors have their own writing styles and preferences, the decision regarding the content can also be quite subjective. I prefer to keep it simple and set the tone of the story as best I can in the first paragraphs.

If you haven’t yet read my work, here are excerpts from the opening paragraphs of my first three novels in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series as told from Megan’s point of view:

“If I’d known I would be visiting the morgue just weeks after I saw my husband sitting with Pam at Pueblo’s Café, I’d have gone over to say hello that sunny Monday afternoon in July and maybe change destiny. But I was late for a five o’clock appointment.” (False Impressions – Book #1)

“There were times when I wished I could change the future. This was one of them. The cheerful family atmosphere around the kitchen table obscured the sequence of ominous events about to unfold, and I couldn’t do a thing about it.” (Fatal Whispers – Book #2)

“Our windshield wipers were losing the battle in fending off the barrage of ice pellets… The weather amplified the hesitation I’d had about taking this trip… It was a picturesque scene but a threatening one should temperatures plunge and the sudden storm intensify as weather forecasters now predicted. I cringed with the realization that we’d be spending the next two nights here.” (Icy Silence – Book #3)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m currently working on Dark Deeds, my next book in the mystery series. I can’t reveal too many details, though I can tell you that the story involves the hunt for an infamous killer in a decades-old cold case. I’ll have more information in next month’s blog post. Stay tuned!

To learn more about the riveting adventures of ghostwriter Megan Scott and investigative reporter Michael Elliott in this popular mystery series, click on the Books tab. If you’re new to this website, you can join my Newsletter to get blog posts delivered directly to your email address and be the first to find out about new book releases.

I love to hear from readers and welcome your feedback. Send me an email, or connect with me on Facebook or Twitter.

Fatal Whispers: Settings

A flower shop in Portland, Maine is only one of the settings in Fatal Whispers, my second book in the Michael Elliott/Megan Scott Mystery series. From a millionaire’s mansion to an austere abode in a church to abandoned alleys behind trendy shops, the backdrops in Fatal Whispers offer interest and intrigue.

In the story, a visit to this coastal town prompts Megan and Michael to investigate the deaths of a homeless woman, a millionaire’s young wife, and a parish priest—unexplained deaths that have baffled local police and medical authorities alike. Are the victims connected, and if so, how? Learn more about this gripping whodunit on the Books page of my website.

Wait! I have more news! Kobo is holding a Mystery & Thriller Summer Sale from July 28 to August 1. Take advantage of this event to get your e-copy of Fatal Whispers at a special low price. You’ll find the link here.

Fatal Whispers is also available at these online retailers (the links are on my Books page):

Amazon (incl. paperback)

Apple

Barnes & Noble (incl. paperback)

Chapters/Indigo (incl. paperback)

Happy reading!

Sandra

A New Look

Hello, readers,

I’m officially launching my new website at www.sandranikolai.com and you’re invited to check it out!

Here’s what you’ll find:

• a more streamlined design and simpler functionality

• popular blog posts about my writing world and accompanying photos

• a dedicated page that describes all my books, with links to reviews and retailer sites for each book

• I have more news. I recently published a Box Set in ebook format that includes the first three books in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series: False Impressions, Fatal Whispers, and Icy Silence. Just in time for summer, Kobo is having a 30% OFF promotion on this Box Set from June 10th to 20th, 2016.

I’ve also been busy working on Dark Deeds, Book #4 in my mystery series. I expect to have the ebook and paperback versions published by Fall 2016 and ready for my local author events.

I want to thank you for your book reviews, comments on social media, and likes on my Facebook page. I’m so grateful for your feedback as it inspires me to keep on writing.

Feel free to pass this newsletter along to family and friends who love mysteries. They can visit my website and sign up to join my mailing list. I’ll only send the occasional newsletter to announce new book releases, giveaways, and other topics of interest to readers.

Have a wonderful month!
Sandra

A Triple Whodunit

Upscale clothing, jewelry, and crafts boutiques blend into historic 19th century brick buildings that are characteristic of the Old Port district of Portland, Maine. In my mystery novel, Fatal Whispers, ghostwriter Megan Scott and crime reporter Michael Elliott briefly visit the trendy shops along Exchange Street before diverting their attention to the investigation of three mysterious deaths in this New England town.

If you haven’t read Fatal Whispers yet, you’re in for a triple whodunit challenge! Join my sleuths as they search for clues to explain the sudden deaths of a homeless woman, a priest, and a millionaire’s young wife.

Here’s an excerpt from Megan’s point of view as she speaks with Michael about the recent death of a homeless woman that has baffled medical experts:

Monday morning, Michael’s article on Gladys appeared in the Herald. I sat down with a cup of fresh-perked coffee and read the first paragraph:

‘Gladys Lindstrom was laid to rest in St. Andrew’s cemetery on the weekend. Patrons who paused on the street to donate their spare change to one of Portland’s most recognizable senior citizens will remember her as glad rags Gladys—a nickname she used when thanking her benefactors.’

Accompanying the article was the same photograph of Gladys that Michael had shown me but enlarged for print. A gray-haired woman was stretched out on the pavement with her eyes shut. She wore layers of frayed brown skirts over dark stockings. A red handkerchief was wrapped around her head. Her joined hands held a wispy bunch of wildflowers—the same ones I’d noticed growing in the alley where her body had been found. Flanking her side was a handbag; its contents, though indiscernible, had fallen out. In the background were the rear doors of shops and several garbage bins…

I studied the photo. “There’s something odd about the way Gladys is holding the flowers, don’t you think? It almost looks staged.”

He nodded. “As if she knew she was about to die.”

Want to read more? Click here to find out where you can purchase your copy of Fatal Whispers.