Browsed by
Category: My Publishing Journey

January 9: Happy New Year and Murder for Hire

January 9: Happy New Year and Murder for Hire

Comments 0 Comment

Right after Christmas, got the chance to visit one of my brothers and his family down in San Antonio for a few days. Had a fun time enjoying the warmth and catching up. (Long line at the Alamo!) But now I’m back to my desk.

Still hard at work on Thicker Than Thieves: The Travelers Book 8. Hoping to make it the best Travelers crime thriller ever. While I’m rewriting and making changes, I’ve been doing some general research reading for the future.

In Harper’s Magazine, I read an article about murder-for-hire scams on the dark web.

The way these scams work is that a bad player thinks they are hiring a murderer, but in fact they’re just being taken. They pay in bitcoin and then the supposed “murderer” disappears with their money without doing the killing.

Or it turns out that the supposed “murderer” is actually the FBI and the bad player ends up charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

The downside is when the bad player, after being ripped off, decides to take matters into their own hands. Could a murder have been prevented if the bad player were arrested earlier?

Here’s the link if you want to check out the article: https://harpers.org/archive/2020/01/click-here-to-kill-dark-web-hitman/

That’s all for now. Happy reading!

December 6: Holiday Book Deals

December 6: Holiday Book Deals

Comments 0 Comment

We just got back from visiting my son’s family. Had a great time playing board games and eating turkey. And we got the bonus of helping to decorate their Christmas tree before we left. But now it’s back to work.

December Holiday Book Deals!

Today through Tuesday December 10

Book 4, The Freeport Robbery is free! (That’s pretty much everywhere.)

Books 1, 2, 3, and 5 are on $0.99 Countdown Deals (I wish Amazon allowed Countdown Deals in Canada and Australia! But Jeff Bezos has made it clear that I don’t make the rules. Sad face emoji here.)

So if you know someone who might like to try the Travelers series, or if you need to catch up, now is your chance. Here’s the link to the series page where you can find the specials: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F7Q1K9M

But if you’re all caught up with the series, and would like to read an article on international diamond smuggling that I came across while doing some deep background research for Travelers book 8, Thicker Than Thieves, here’s the link: https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/lets-deal-a-conversation-with-a-diamond-smuggler

Happy reading!

NOV 5, 2019: Starting on Book 8

NOV 5, 2019: Starting on Book 8

Comments 0 Comment

Wow! The fall is flying by, the leaves are dropping here in Iowa, and I’m working on a new Travelers book—number 8. Its working title is Thicker Than Thieves, and it concerns smugglers, terrorists, and white nationalists—at least for now.

One of the subjects I’ve been researching for this book is how to clone a smartphone; in other words, how to make an exact copy of a phone so that you could use it to do anything the original phone would let you do—use the saved passwords, use the protected WIFI, gain cloud access. The list of illegal behaviors is only limited by the precautions the phone owner took and the ability of your hacker. If you’re interested, you can check out the basis process for copying a phone right here: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-clone-phone-without-touching-it-4570908

On a celebratory note, the Kirkus Review of The Casino Switcheroo is out. Kirkus calls book 7, “Another full-throttle installment that shows that this crime series has no intention of slowing down.” You can read the full review here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/michael-p-king/the-casino-switcheroo/

There are also some excellent reviews of The Casino Switcheroo up on Amazon—knowing that I’m writing books that you enjoy really makes my day! I love to hear from you.

Happy reading!

Sept. 27, 2019: The Casino Switcheroo Promo Starts Today

Sept. 27, 2019: The Casino Switcheroo Promo Starts Today

Comments 0 Comment

Finally!  As promised, The Casino Switcheroo: The Travelers Book 7 eBook is $0.99 for one week. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WWJ4DD8  (Then it goes back to $4.99.)

Here’s the list of all the special promos to celebrate the book 7 release. So if you know someone who’d like to try the series, now is their chance.

Today: The Casino Switcheroo: The Travelers Book 7 is $0.99 through 3 October

The Computer Heist: The Travelers Book 2 is $0.99 through 3 October

The Blackmail Photos: The Travelers Book 3 is FREE through 1 October

Tomorrow: The Traveling Man: The Travelers Book 1 is $0.99 through 3 October

Here’s a link to my Amazon series page where you can see all the specials in one place:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F7Q1K9M

In case you haven’t read The Casino Switcheroo description:

Trust him at your peril…

When Koenig, the Traveling Man’s original mentor, shows up touting a casino heist—a once-in-a-lifetime, high-stakes robbery—all the Traveling Man can think about is stealing the score.

His wife thinks he’s crazy.

Koenig is a puppet master—a master manipulator who compartmentalizes the parts of a job so that only he knows all the details. What are they really going to steal? Who’s going to carry it out? How are they going to escape? And who’s going to be discarded to the opposition or the law?

The Travelers will have their hands full staying alive and staying free, and outthinking the other players, if they hope to steal Koenig’s loot right from under his nose.

The Casino Switcheroo is a full-throttle, no-holds-barred page turner. If you like can’t-figure-them-out plot twists, fast-paced action, and criminal mischief, you’ll love the seventh book in the Travelers series.

***

Can’t wait to hear what you think of the new book.

Happy reading!

Sept. 17, 2019: The Casino Switcheroo will be out next week

Sept. 17, 2019: The Casino Switcheroo will be out next week

Comments 0 Comment

Exciting news! The Casino Switcheroo: The Travelers Book 7 will be released next week.

As promised, here’s a breakdown of next week’s specials.

The Casino Switcheroo will be released on Sunday, September 22. The eBook will be full price ($4.99) until Friday, September 27. Then the price drops to $0.99 for one week.

Here’s the calendar of all the special promos to celebrate the release. So if you know someone who’d like to try the series, now is their chance.

Friday September 27: The Casino Switcheroo: The Travelers Book 7 is $0.99 through 3 October

The Computer Heist: The Travelers Book 2 is $0.99 through 3 October

The Blackmail Photos: The Travelers Book 3 is FREE through 1 October

Saturday September 28: The Traveling Man: The Travelers Book 1 is $0.99 through 3 October

No worries, I’ll send out a reminder with the Amazon links on the day of so that you won’t miss out.

In case you haven’t read The Casino Switcheroo description:

Trust him at your peril…

When Koenig, the Traveling Man’s original mentor, shows up touting a casino heist—a once-in-a-lifetime, high-stakes robbery—all the Traveling Man can think about is stealing the score.

His wife thinks he’s crazy.

Koenig is a puppet master—a master manipulator who compartmentalizes the parts of a job so that only he knows all the details. What are they really going to steal? Who’s going to carry it out? How are they going to escape? And who’s going to be discarded to the opposition or the law?

The Travelers will have their hands full staying alive and staying free, and outthinking the other players, if they hope to steal Koenig’s loot right from under his nose.

The Casino Switcheroo is a full-throttle, no-holds-barred page turner. If you like can’t-figure-them-out plot twists, fast-paced action, and criminal mischief, you’ll love the seventh book in the Travelers series.

Looking forward to next week!

September 2019: The Casino Switcheroo Release Date

September 2019: The Casino Switcheroo Release Date

Comments 0 Comment

Great news!

The Casino Switcheroo: The Travelers Book 7 will be released on September 22. The eBook is now on pre-order at full price ($4.99). But you don’t want to pre-order because…

For one week beginning September 27, the eBook will be priced at $0.99. Not to worry, I’ll send you a reminder so that you’ll be able to download The Casino Switcheroo at the special new release price.

There’s going to be other special promos as well to celebrate the release. I’ll be filling you in as the time approaches.

Here’s the book description:

Trust him at your peril…

When Koenig, the Traveling Man’s original mentor, shows up touting a casino heist—a once-in-a-lifetime, high-stakes robbery—all the Traveling Man can think about is stealing the score.

His wife thinks he’s crazy.

Koenig is a puppet master—a master manipulator who compartmentalizes the parts of a job so that only he knows all the details. What are they really going to steal? Who’s going to carry it out? How are they going to escape? And who’s going to be discarded to the opposition or the law?

The Travelers will have their hands full staying alive and staying free, and outthinking the other players, if they hope to steal Koenig’s loot right from under his nose.

The Casino Switcheroo is a full-throttle, no-holds-barred page turner. If you like can’t-figure-them-out plot twists, fast-paced action, and criminal mischief, you love the seventh book in the Travelers series.

Happy reading!

August 2019: Casino Switcheroo Countdown

August 2019: Casino Switcheroo Countdown

Comments 0 Comment

It’s the dog days of summer. Vacation is long over. Had a great time in California with our kids—Muir Woods, wine country, hanging out playing board games. Here in the college town where we live, the students are filtering back into town. Two more weeks and the population will be almost double what it is now. The stores will be jammed with students furnishing their rooms and buying groceries. Going to make sure I don’t need to go to Walmart until after Labor Day.

The Casino Switcheroo: The Travelers Book 7 is on track to be released this fall. But due of circumstance beyond my control, it will probably be released in the beginning of October instead of in September as I had originally hoped. (sad emoji goes here)

The first week of its release, the eBook will be priced at $0.99. After that it will go up to $4.99, but don’t worry, I’ll be keeping you in the loop so at you’ll be able to download at the special release week price.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for something to hold you over until the release of The Casino Switcheroo, I’ve found another free eBook promo. Midsummer Murders & Mysteries is live now. https://books.bookfunnel.com/midsommer-murder-mystery/cotiaq4ba5

As usual, you get a free eBook for an email list signup. Hope you find a book you enjoy.

Happy reading!

July 2019: The Traveling Man has a new cover

July 2019: The Traveling Man has a new cover

Comments 0 Comment

The Traveling Man (book 1) has a new cover. So now its cover matches the other covers in the series. Back when The Computer Heist (book 2) came out, I didn’t know its cover would become the pattern for the rest of the covers. Hindsight, eh? You can take a close up look at the new cover here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019DGN21A

(The content of book 1 has not changed, only the cover.)

The Casino Switcheroo, book 7 of the Travelers series, is off at the copy editor. But to get to The Casino Switcheroo, we have to come through The Murder Run.

The Freeport Robbery (book 4), The Kidnap Victim (book 5), and The Murder Run (book 6) all feature James Denison, first as a mark of sorts, and then later as Mrs. Traveling Man’s love interest. (You remember, don’t you? It’s complicated.)

So when The Murder Run opens, she’s in San Francisco getting up to mischief with a new gal pal, while the Traveling Man’s out east trying to outrun and outgun the killers who tailed him from a safecracking.

It’s one wild ride to the finish line, and when it’s over, they’ll be ready for The Casino Switcheroo. 

Do you need to catch up? You can check out the description to The Murder Run here:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M7F95G8

Happy reading!

June 2019: Reminiscing about The Kidnap Victim

June 2019: Reminiscing about The Kidnap Victim

Comments 0 Comment

It’s finally getting warm here in Iowa. The flowers are up. The trees have leaves. We’ve put the furniture out on the screened-in porch. Woo-hoo!

I’m still hard at work on The Casino Switcheroo, book 7 of the Travelers series. Think it’s shaping up into an exciting read. 

In the meantime, to wet your whistle, let’s reminisce about book five, The Kidnap Victim. 

In The Kidnap Victim, Nicole is off with the millionaire James Denison and the Traveling Man is off on a new scam. In the other books, they tag team their way out of any tough spots, but here, where we begin, they have to sort out their own problems by themselves.

So the Traveling Man has to work on tradecraft with a new partner, and Nicole has to explain who she is to the Denison family. That, I thought, would make for an interesting starting place, something we haven’t seen before. Sort of like we’re back at the beginning of The Double Cross, only now the Travelers know all they’ve learned in the meantime.

Add to that the theme of kidnapping and all that entails. For the one who is kidnapped—lack of agency, being controlled, seeking escape. What would that person be thinking about? For the rescuer—developing the rescue plan, fear about what’s being done to the one who’s been kidnapped, and fear that the rescue plan won’t work. Plus anger and the desire for revenge. Who doesn’t hate a kidnapper?

Of course, the Travelers are not going to take their lumps lying down. They’re going to do everything they can to scheme and manipulate their way out of their troubles and into the clear. 

You can check out the book description here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CRY2MNJ

If you’re interested in free eBook promos, I’ve found another one. It’s got enough books I haven’t seen before to make it worth sharing with you. https://books.bookfunnel.com/summer-read/ryh7ag5cja

As usual, you get a free eBook for an email list signup. Hope you find a book you enjoy.

Happy reading!

May 2019: Research and The Freeport Robbery

May 2019: Research and The Freeport Robbery

Comments 0 Comment

Hard at work on the next Travelers book, tentatively titled The Casino Switcheroo. Finally done with researching the various details (I’ve shared some of my findings in previous emails).

Research. Research. Research. How does it affect the writing of a Travelers crime thriller?

The Freeport Robbery: The Travelers Book 4 makes a good example of where research led to the premise for a book.

From a The Economist magazine article, I learned about freeports. (I’d never heard of them before!)

Freeports were originally areas at ports where cargo could be moved from one ship to another without going through customs. Quick and easy. No entry into the country. No extra paperwork. But freeports evolved to include vaults, much like bank vaults, where valuable can be stored indefinitely. Nowadays, freeports could be located at airports as well as ship ports.

So if you have diamonds, or art, or gold bars, or anything else that you don’t want to declare and pay taxes on, you could store them in a freeport vault, which isn’t, technically, in any country. It’s between countries. Which got me thinking . . .

What if a bad actor stored a stolen object in a freeport?

And what if an insurance company hired a consultant to get the object back so that they wouldn’t have to pay off the insurance claim?

And what if the consultant had an ulterior motive for helping the insurance company?

And how would our con artists get involved in this scheme? What would be in it for them?

From these ideas we end up with insurance investigator Aaron Rickover, FBI agent Grace Mosley, millionaire James Denison and a cross-country chase for the Cellini casket.

You can check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NHN3VZ

Happy reading!

P.S. If you’d like to see what a million dollars in hundreds would look like, click here: http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/million/million_dollars.html