I know, I know…it’s been ages since my last blog post. And I promise I’ll post all about what I’ve been doing during my absence from this blog SOON…but right now I’m just so excited to finally unveil the cover for Secrets & Lies, the first book in the Riley Russell Mystery Series! The book debuts on May 19, 2021, but is already available for pre-orders on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
It’s all just a little unreal, to say the least. I started the book…well, so long ago I don’t even like to think about that. I worked through its infancy and toddler stages with my first writers’ group and the two writers’ groups that grew out of that one, commiserated over its adolescence with yet another critique group, and went through too many revisions and edits to count. When it was as good as I thought I could make it, four amazing beta readers disabused me of that notion (in the kindest yet most constructive way). I finished the final edits during the height of the 2020 lockdown. Of course, that’s only if you don’t count the picayune “tweaks” made in the early weeks of this year…all of which probably qualify me for a free year’s worth of sessions with the best mental health professionals in the U.S.
If you’re a writer, you understand this perfectly. We’re all just a wee bit on the compulsive side when it comes to our book babies. 🤣 They say a book is never “done,” and whoever “they” are, “they” definitely know what they’re talking about. I suspect most authors would tell you that they, like I, could literally recite from memory whole passages from their books–we’ve spent that much time working and reworking them. It’s that kind of a job, writing is. And since it’s the Riley Russell Mystery Series, I have come to grips with the fact that this is now my life. 😊
Since Amazon’s been a little slow to add the “Look Inside” feature to its listing of my book, you can search on “excerpt” (top of your screen, using the magnifying glass icon) for a couple of snippets of the book.
Here’s a brief description of what you can expect from Secrets & Lies:
Freelance paralegal Riley Russell is building her business one case at a time. When asked to work on the legal team defending her abusive ex, she must decide whether she’s willing to face the truth about her past to win the case that can ensure her future.
Riley has put the physical and emotional scars of her relationship with Chris Fiorelli behind her, but the call from Harrington & Malloy threatens to upend her life all over again. A high-profile case like the Victoria Landon murder would give her reputation a huge boost. It would also mean trying to prove the innocence of a man she knows is anything but.
Weaving together the tenuous threads of a reasonable doubt defense takes Riley to the seedy underbelly of Atlantic City and puts her on the radar of organized crime boss Nemo Cardinale. A second murder; a mystery man linked to both victims; and a tangle of loyalties, secrets, and lies threaten to derail her efforts to get to the truth. When she finds her own life in jeopardy, there is but one question left to ask: When nothing is as it seems, who can you trust?
I hope you’ll be intrigued enough to order your copy now.
If you do, please consider leaving a review on your favorite book review sites and/or on your own blog. Authors are so appreciative of your efforts to help spread the word about their work. Writing is not an easy task (this is where you say, “But you make it look so easy!” 🤣), and marketing is even harder (that’s no joke).
So, thanks in advance for your support of me, my writing, and my efforts to get my work out into the world!
All my best,
Linda (L.C.) Rooney
Recent Comments