Twice Upon a Crime

 
Mark S. Waxman
Book Cover: Twice Upon a Crime
Editions:ebook, Hardcover

When Hollywood burns you, it’s time for a rewrite.

Fiona Moore is done playing nice with Hollywood. A former screenwriting star now sidelined by ageism and a biting sarcasm problem, she finds herself jobless, friendless, and left with only her dog and an impressive stash of disdain for the industry that’s ditched her. Enter Jack Reynolds, a bright-eyed, thirty-year-old film student with a boundless love for classic cinema—and a very distracting smile that makes Fiona question if a twenty-year age gap is really such a big deal. Despite her attempts to keep him at arm’s length, Jack is determined to help Fiona reclaim her place in the spotlight, and together they embark on a passionate, if snark-filled, quest to write the next great blockbuster.

But when their hard work is stolen by a sleazy Hollywood producer, Fiona and Jack decide to go off-script. Armed with a screenplay about the perfect crime, they set out to pull off the heist of a lifetime—one that’s clever, classy, and just this side of legal. As their partnership heats up on and off the page, they’ll discover that while Hollywood may be all about illusions, their feelings just might be the real deal.

Fast-paced, funny, and full of twists, Twice Upon a Crime is a madcap caper that will leave you cheering for this unlikely duo—because revenge is sweet, but falling in love is even sweeter.

Published:
Publisher: Rogue River
Genres:

About the Author

Mark S. Waxman

Mark Waxman is a multiple Emmy Award winning writer/producer. He began his career as a CBS executive developing comedy and drama series, during which time he also wrote scripts for The Young and the Restless. After serving as CBS Vice President of Children’s Programming, Mark became Program Director of public television station KCET, where he also wrote, produced and directed over 400 hours of programming for PBS. He then enjoyed contracts with several Hollywood studios, writing and producing numerous prime time series, movies, specials and reality shows for network and cable television.

He created, wrote and produced the internationally acclaimed kid’s science series, Beakman’s World. From 2007-2022, Mark was the sole NBC writer for America’s most beloved and watched TV special, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. His debut novel, The McVentures of Me, Morgan McFactoid, was endorsed by President Obama’s choice for National Teacher of the Year. His comedy novel, The Funny Kid, is the first book targeted to young adults that addresses the issues of childhood obesity. His 2023 novel, The Bones of Ghost Mountain, is a mystery thriller, which explores such lofty questions as: How will you be remembered after you die?

Mark was captain of the UCLA varsity fencing team and collegiate state saber champion.

Mark is blissfully married, has two sensational sons, two delightful daughters-in-law, and three inspiring grandchildren.

The Purloined Skull

 
Velda Brotherton

Velda Brotherton uncovers the cancer of one town’s deepest secrets in the Twist of Poe Mystery that started it all…

Buried skeletons don’t often turn up in sleepy little Cedarton, Arkansas—especially not the headless kind. Reporter Jessie West is assigned the story, but she has some skeletons of her own she’s hoping not to unearth. Her journalistic instincts, however, are impossible to ignore, and she’s soon hot on the trail of a possible suspect. Her investigation drives her headlong into newly-hired Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, a sexy Cherokee lawman with the ability to read the emotional echoes left at the scene of a violent crime. Dal’s seen firsthand how nosy reporters are willing to ruin lives and reputations for a big scoop, and he wants nothing to do with Jessie or her amateur detective act. Passions flare inside the bedroom and out as they collide in the midst of the biggest thing to happen in Grace County in decades.

When Jessie receives a series of bizarre threats on her life, she has to decide if she’s close to exposing the killer, or if her past has finally caught up with her. Will she and Dal find the answer in time, or will the secret of the purloined skull destroy them all? (324 pages)

Published:
Publisher: Radiance
Genres:

About the Author

Velda Brotherton

Velda Brotherton has a long career in historical writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Her love of history and the west is responsible for the publication of 25 books and novels since 1994.

But she’s not about ready to stop there. When the mid-list crisis hit big city publishers, she turned first to writing regional nonfiction, then began to look at the growing popularity of small presses as a source for the books that continue to flow from her busy mind. Those voices simply won’t shut up, and so she finds them a home.

First she obtained a conversion of rights for her out-of-print historical romances and published all six to Kindle. Within a matter of months, she placed a western historical romance, Stone Heart’s Woman, with The Wild Rose Press, an award winning publisher of both print and E books; then a mainstream paranormal, Wolf Song, was accepted by SynergE Books.

Not satisfied that her career might level off, she produced an audio book of Montana Promises along with Jeff Justus. The Montana series is also available as a boxed set. A novella, The Legend of the Rose, based on the true story of Cimarron Rose, is available on Kindle. Stone Heart’s woman is also available in audio.

While Wild Rose Press continues to publish her western romances, including Wilda’s Outlaw: The Victorians, and the second in the series, Rowena’s Hellion, in a change of pace, the press published her Vintage love story, Once There Were Sad Songs. The most thrilling experience in her writing career came when Oghma Creative Media contracted her book, Beyond the Moon, a story she has treasured since its first writing in 1985, and signed her to a four-book contract. One is to reprint the Ozark cookbook containing recipes from her mother’s collection and stories of growing up in Arkansas during the depression,

The most fun she’s had came when owner/designer of Oghma Creative Media, Casey Cowan, suggested a new brand. Sexy Dark and Gritty so well fits her writing style that it was quickly adopted.

This busy writer who has co-chaired a large weekly critique group since 1988, also gives two yearly all-day workshops and mentors promising young writers, plus teaches at conferences in a four-state area. She isn’t sure what will come next. With all those voices in her head, she’s bound to let some of them out to play before long.

Website: veldabrotherton.com

Other Books By Velda Brotherton

Masque of the Rising Moon

 
Velda Brotherton

Velda Brotherton digs deep into the darkest side of human depravity in the latest chilling Twist of Poe Mystery… Masque of the Rising Moon.

Small town reporter Jessie West has a lot on her mind. A cult operating in the area is using children to steal supplies from grocery stores, and the closer Jessie’s investigation comes to unmasking them, the more anonymous threats she receives. Her old friend and mentor, Sheriff Mac Richards, is under suspicion for taking bribes, and Jessie is determined not only to prove him innocent, but to find out just who set him up. She’s distracted, though, by the fact that her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, is showing every sign of leaving her brokenhearted.

Between the threat from the cult and the ongoing investigation of the Sheriff, Dallas ends up in a reluctant partnership with Jessie to bring the wrongdoers to justice. But will they be able to handle their turbulent relationship? Or will the people threatening Jessie’s life succeed in silencing her before she has a chance to unmask the cult leaders? (362 pages)

Published:
Publisher: Radiance
Genres:

About the Author

Velda Brotherton

Velda Brotherton has a long career in historical writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Her love of history and the west is responsible for the publication of 25 books and novels since 1994.

But she’s not about ready to stop there. When the mid-list crisis hit big city publishers, she turned first to writing regional nonfiction, then began to look at the growing popularity of small presses as a source for the books that continue to flow from her busy mind. Those voices simply won’t shut up, and so she finds them a home.

First she obtained a conversion of rights for her out-of-print historical romances and published all six to Kindle. Within a matter of months, she placed a western historical romance, Stone Heart’s Woman, with The Wild Rose Press, an award winning publisher of both print and E books; then a mainstream paranormal, Wolf Song, was accepted by SynergE Books.

Not satisfied that her career might level off, she produced an audio book of Montana Promises along with Jeff Justus. The Montana series is also available as a boxed set. A novella, The Legend of the Rose, based on the true story of Cimarron Rose, is available on Kindle. Stone Heart’s woman is also available in audio.

While Wild Rose Press continues to publish her western romances, including Wilda’s Outlaw: The Victorians, and the second in the series, Rowena’s Hellion, in a change of pace, the press published her Vintage love story, Once There Were Sad Songs. The most thrilling experience in her writing career came when Oghma Creative Media contracted her book, Beyond the Moon, a story she has treasured since its first writing in 1985, and signed her to a four-book contract. One is to reprint the Ozark cookbook containing recipes from her mother’s collection and stories of growing up in Arkansas during the depression,

The most fun she’s had came when owner/designer of Oghma Creative Media, Casey Cowan, suggested a new brand. Sexy Dark and Gritty so well fits her writing style that it was quickly adopted.

This busy writer who has co-chaired a large weekly critique group since 1988, also gives two yearly all-day workshops and mentors promising young writers, plus teaches at conferences in a four-state area. She isn’t sure what will come next. With all those voices in her head, she’s bound to let some of them out to play before long.

Website: veldabrotherton.com

Other Books By Velda Brotherton

The Tell-Tale Stone

 
Velda Brotherton

A long-dead body unearthed from a shallow grave sets idyllic Grace County, Arkansas on edge, but nobody seems to be able to explain exactly why.

When small town reporter Jessie West connects the victim to an unsolved diamond heist from decades ago, though, what first appears to be a cold case turns quickly hot. Amidst a barrage of sudden threats and misdirections, she sets herself the task of finding the missing jewels. With the help of her lover, Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, they work to solve a pair of grisly murders while searching for the stolen diamonds and pursuing their favorite pastime—finding love in all the not-so-usual places.

The culprits know they’re coming, though, and now their lives are at risk… and even Dal’s watchful eye might not be enough to keep Jessie from danger this time. (410 pages)

About the Author

Velda Brotherton

Velda Brotherton has a long career in historical writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Her love of history and the west is responsible for the publication of 25 books and novels since 1994.

But she’s not about ready to stop there. When the mid-list crisis hit big city publishers, she turned first to writing regional nonfiction, then began to look at the growing popularity of small presses as a source for the books that continue to flow from her busy mind. Those voices simply won’t shut up, and so she finds them a home.

First she obtained a conversion of rights for her out-of-print historical romances and published all six to Kindle. Within a matter of months, she placed a western historical romance, Stone Heart’s Woman, with The Wild Rose Press, an award winning publisher of both print and E books; then a mainstream paranormal, Wolf Song, was accepted by SynergE Books.

Not satisfied that her career might level off, she produced an audio book of Montana Promises along with Jeff Justus. The Montana series is also available as a boxed set. A novella, The Legend of the Rose, based on the true story of Cimarron Rose, is available on Kindle. Stone Heart’s woman is also available in audio.

While Wild Rose Press continues to publish her western romances, including Wilda’s Outlaw: The Victorians, and the second in the series, Rowena’s Hellion, in a change of pace, the press published her Vintage love story, Once There Were Sad Songs. The most thrilling experience in her writing career came when Oghma Creative Media contracted her book, Beyond the Moon, a story she has treasured since its first writing in 1985, and signed her to a four-book contract. One is to reprint the Ozark cookbook containing recipes from her mother’s collection and stories of growing up in Arkansas during the depression,

The most fun she’s had came when owner/designer of Oghma Creative Media, Casey Cowan, suggested a new brand. Sexy Dark and Gritty so well fits her writing style that it was quickly adopted.

This busy writer who has co-chaired a large weekly critique group since 1988, also gives two yearly all-day workshops and mentors promising young writers, plus teaches at conferences in a four-state area. She isn’t sure what will come next. With all those voices in her head, she’s bound to let some of them out to play before long.

Website: veldabrotherton.com

Other Books By Velda Brotherton

The Fall of Hermitage House

 
Velda Brotherton

In their most baffling tale of suspense and intrigue to date, Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr and reporter Jessie West once again team up to bring justice to Grace County.

The new owners of Hermitage House are kidnapped seemingly without purpose. Could their abductions be connected to the reappearance of escaped villains Robert Kimble and Taylor Bainbridge of the Rising Moon cult? What about the distraught man found hiding in the woods with two girls he claims are his daughters?

As the romantic relationship between Jessie and Dal heats up further—finding even more unusual places to bloom—Dal and his fellow deputies search in one direction to unravel the mystery, while Jessie and her best friend Tink go in the other direction, putting themselves in peril during their own search for clues.

Throw in an escaped lion, stolen police cars, and the appearance of a mysterious hermit, and this puzzling case seems to have endless twists and turns. Will this be the one that finally takes Jessie too far in the pursuit of her next story? After losing his wife, can Dal’s heart survive a relationship with a woman who puts herself at risk?

Published:
Publisher: Radiance
Genres:

About the Author

Velda Brotherton

Velda Brotherton has a long career in historical writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Her love of history and the west is responsible for the publication of 25 books and novels since 1994.

But she’s not about ready to stop there. When the mid-list crisis hit big city publishers, she turned first to writing regional nonfiction, then began to look at the growing popularity of small presses as a source for the books that continue to flow from her busy mind. Those voices simply won’t shut up, and so she finds them a home.

First she obtained a conversion of rights for her out-of-print historical romances and published all six to Kindle. Within a matter of months, she placed a western historical romance, Stone Heart’s Woman, with The Wild Rose Press, an award winning publisher of both print and E books; then a mainstream paranormal, Wolf Song, was accepted by SynergE Books.

Not satisfied that her career might level off, she produced an audio book of Montana Promises along with Jeff Justus. The Montana series is also available as a boxed set. A novella, The Legend of the Rose, based on the true story of Cimarron Rose, is available on Kindle. Stone Heart’s woman is also available in audio.

While Wild Rose Press continues to publish her western romances, including Wilda’s Outlaw: The Victorians, and the second in the series, Rowena’s Hellion, in a change of pace, the press published her Vintage love story, Once There Were Sad Songs. The most thrilling experience in her writing career came when Oghma Creative Media contracted her book, Beyond the Moon, a story she has treasured since its first writing in 1985, and signed her to a four-book contract. One is to reprint the Ozark cookbook containing recipes from her mother’s collection and stories of growing up in Arkansas during the depression,

The most fun she’s had came when owner/designer of Oghma Creative Media, Casey Cowan, suggested a new brand. Sexy Dark and Gritty so well fits her writing style that it was quickly adopted.

This busy writer who has co-chaired a large weekly critique group since 1988, also gives two yearly all-day workshops and mentors promising young writers, plus teaches at conferences in a four-state area. She isn’t sure what will come next. With all those voices in her head, she’s bound to let some of them out to play before long.

Website: veldabrotherton.com

Other Books By Velda Brotherton

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