Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour–The Scent Of Waikiki

 

 

The Scent of Waikiki (Trouble in Paradise)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Satori (July 19, 2018)
Print Length: 330 pages
ASIN: B07CZ3B389

Purchase Link

Amazon

 

 

Honolulu landlord Wilson McKenna can smell a scam from across the room. So when one of his tenants loses everything in a work-at-home scam involving a new perfume, he’s shocked. With his wedding just weeks away, McKenna has to make a tough decision. Does he evict a woman who’s down on her luck? Or take time out from wedding planning to help his tenant?

Turning the case over to his PI-in-training friend Chance Logan seems like the perfect solution—until Chance tells McKenna he needs a wingman for a visit to fragrance entrepreneur Skye Pilkington-Winchester. McKenna’s sure he can keep everyone happy by helping Chance this one time. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems, and soon McKenna’s up to his board shorts in hot water. His tenant’s simple fragrance scam might involve industrial espionage, Skye’s assistant is murdered, and McKenna’s bride-to-be accuses him of having cold feet.

As McKenna and Chance dig deeper, it seems so much of what they’re being told doesn’t pass the sniff test. And the only way to get his life back is to find the dead girl’s missing boyfriend, unmask a killer, and finish up in time for the wedding. Other than that, it’s just another day in paradise.

When did you know that you wanted to be an author?  What things, if any, influenced that decision?

I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I was in my late thirties. The decision to write was actually driven by stress at work. I needed a way to relieve the pressure and realized the process of writing was, for me, cathartic. It was a turning point and a decision I’ve never regretted. Well, not daily, anyway.

 

 

 

 

Terry Ambrose is a former skip tracer who tracked down deadbeats for a living. He’s long since turned his talents to writing mysteries and thrillers. Several of his books have been award finalists and in 2014 his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. He likes cool photography, funny mysteries, and finding the oddest things while walking on the beach.

Author Links:

Website: http://terryambrose.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/suspense.writer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6447968.Terry_Ambrose

 

 

 

 

When did you know that you wanted to be an author?  What things, if any, influenced that decision?

I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I was in my late thirties. The decision to write was actually driven by stress at work. I needed a way to relieve the pressure and realized the process of writing was, for me, cathartic. It was a turning point and a decision I’ve never regretted. Well, not daily, anyway.

 

With so many cozies being written today, what makes your books stand out from the crowd?

My goal is to always craft a good story. To me, word choices are an important part of the process. It’s not enough just to throw down words on a page. Like music, those words must create a varied tempo and cadence to keep the writing strong. In addition, every scene and the actions within that scene must drive the next and the next. If I can keep my reader entertained, make her laugh when something’s funny and cry during a tender moment, I’ve done my job.

 

 

Do you work from an outline or plot or do you just see where the characters take you?

I begin with a timeline for the story. Basically, this is an outline built around dates and times for every significant action to be included. I also use a process called stimulus and response for every scene. While the characters do get to influence the story and create changes, those changes must either fit the timeline or the timeline must change. This is a tedious process, but it keeps everything in balance and keeps me from having to rewrite a third of a book because I wrote myself into a corner. And for the record, yes, I did do that once. I hope it never happens again!

 

Do you read your reviews?  Do you respond to them, good or bad?  Do you do anything special to get those reviews?

 I do read my reviews, but I don’t respond to them. Responding seems like a slippery slope I’d just as soon avoid. I do have a wonderful group of advance readers that enjoy reading books in advance of the release date and will then write an honest review. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate each of those readers!

 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to start writing sooner, to not hate English class so much, and to go to work for a newspaper, not a finance company. The writers I’ve met that have impressed me the most are the ones who worked many years under deadlines.

 

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in someone buying your book(s)?   Who designs your book covers?

I do believe covers play a part in the buying decision. To me, a cover is a subliminal statement of what’s inside the book. My current cover designer is Dar Albert. She’s amazing.

 

Please give us an insight into your main characters.  What do you think makes them special?

McKenna is a former skip tracer whose life fell apart while he was living in LA. He moved to Hawaii and took a job as a landlord, then spent several years being miserable. His life changed when one of his tenants saw a body being thrown from a plane on Oahu’s North Shore. McKenna has grown in each book, going from a broken down and defeated man to one who’s found the love of his life, enjoys what he does, and looks forward to each day. Fortunately, he never lost his penchant for being snarky.

Chance Logan is McKenna’s sidekick and has decided he wants to become a private investigator. He’s rich, inexperienced, and likes bantering with McKenna about their cases. Where McKenna is a world-class cynic, Chance looks on the bright side of things. The two make a good team. Working with Chance is, as McKenna likes to say, like working with a human ATM.

 

What have you learned about yourself since becoming an author?

When I was young, I was in love with music, but hated English class. By the time I’d completed my first novel (which was terrible, by the way), I’d begun to connect that love of music with words. Over a million words later, I can now feel the connection between the words in a story and the melody of a song. What that has done has made me realize I always loved writing, I just hadn’t had the right training. I’ve also learned how much I enjoy exploring new subjects and being challenged by the complexities of creating a well-crafted story.

 

 

Do you write full-time or part-time?

I never really think about time when I’m writing. I do think about it when I’m not, however. On average, I suppose I spend about five or six hours a day on writing tasks, which include actual writing, editing, promotion, etc. Because I seldom take a day off, I guess that translates into a thirty-five to forty-plus hour work week. No wonder my wife says I spend too much time in front of a computer!

 

What do your plans for future projects include?

I’ll be continuing the McKenna Mysteries and my Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series. I’m also working on a longer-term project, a new cozy mystery featuring a small-town private investigator.

 

 

What do you think the hardest part of writing is?  What is the easiest?

Being funny is the hardest thing about writing humor, but that’s probably not what you’re referring to. If we’re talking about writing as a craft, it’s probably the discipline. There are so many things in life to distract us that we writers could easily never write a word! The easiest thing about writing? I don’t know that there is anything easy about it.

 

What type of books do you like to read?  Who are some of your favorite authors?

I enjoy a good mystery. My long-time favorite authors include Sue Grafton and Carl Hiassen. But there are others who are less well-known that I’ve read for a review and thoroughly enjoyed. For instance, I loved both Kate Parker’s “Killing at Kaldaire House” and Dana Dratch’s “Confessions of a Red Herring.” They both write with a fresh and varied style I really like.

 

 

What is the one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

I am always striving to improve my writing and storytelling skills because I want my readers to love every story.  

 

Do you have anything specific you would like to say to your readers?

Thank you for reading my work! I hope I never disappoint you and always love hearing from you.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

    Website: http://terryambrose.com

    Blog: http://terryambrose.com

    Facebook: http://facebook.com/suspense.writer

    Twitter:  https://twitter.com/suspense_writer 

     Pinterest; http://pinterest.com/suspensewriter/

     Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Ambrose/e/B008NR7QZ4/

     Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6447968.Terry_Ambrose

 

There are two giveaways, a Rafflecopter giveaway and an individual Giveaway.

Click on the link below to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/02887792743/?widget_template=56d5f80dbc544fb30fda66f0

 

For the individual Giveaway, please comment on this blog post.  Remember to include your email address so you can be notified if you won.  The prize is 1 Kindle copy of The Scent of Waikiki.  *****Be sure to leave your email address*****

 

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 25 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

July 26 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

July 26 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

July 27 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Laura’s Interests – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 29 – T’s Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

July 30 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

July 30 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 31 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 1 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

August 1 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 2 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

August 3 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

August 3 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 4 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

August 5 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, GUEST POST

August 7 – The Montana Bookaholic – CHARACTER GUEST POST