Who Wants Wine? 50 Shades of Cabernet!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Wine? Well, sure. (Somehow I can only drink wine when it’s dark, weird, huh? But I can read about wine any time.)

In vino mysterium is the theme for a wonderful new anthology of short stories, each blending a baffling mystery and a glass (or more) of cabernet. When eighteen mystery writers combine their talents, the result is the perfect “flight” of stories that range from light-bodied puzzles to sparkling cozies to darker, heavier tales of deceit and murder. While cabernet is the featured wine, this anthology will appeal to connoisseurs of all varietals—in both wine preference and mystery style.

I mean, yeah. I can be a joy to sip a nice drink when reading about murder and other crimes? Last week Koehler Books published that book, 50 Shades of Cabernet. And today half of the 50 Shades authors are visiting the Reds—and we asked:

Tell us about your story. What makes it different?

“Who’s Wine Is It Anyway?” by Barb Goffman

There’s a funny T-shirt slogan that says, “Be careful or I’ll put you in my novel.” Well, I write short stories, but the same sentiment applies.

In the mid-2000s I was preparing to leave the large Washington, DC, law firm I’d worked at for five years. I often planned events for our department, such as our annual holiday party. Doing so was a nice break from due diligence and reading regulations and other fun stuff like that. Yet I was a bit surprised when the partner with whom I worked most mentioned that he was (and wasn’t) looking forward to my goodbye party that Friday. Had a planned something great?

Now I enjoyed organizing department events, but this still left my jaw hanging open.

“I have to plan my own goodbye party?” I asked wide-eyed.

An uh oh expression came over him as he realized that of course I shouldn’t have to do that. He said he’d make sure someone else took care of it. And he did.

That conversation has stuck in my brain, and in “Whose Wine Is It Anyway?” I finally put it to good use, writing a story of Myra, a law firm secretary. In her final week at her firm, Myra learns that her boss, Douglas, expects her to plan her own retirement party. Myra is already upset with Douglas because he’s hired a bimbo to replace her, so Myra decides to use this party to teach some lessons.

It took me more than a decade, but I finally put my jaw-dropping moment to good use. So let this be a lesson to you: Don’t anger mystery writers or you too may end up in a story, and it may not work out well, either.

“Blown Away” by Nancy Naigle

“Blown Away” is set at Pirates Cove Marina in Manteo where I own a condo. My balcony overlooks the beautiful fishing boats. It’s an inspiring place to write, and imagined a hundred stories there. When I was asked to write a story for 50 Shades of Cabernet I couldn’t wait to use this wonderful setting. I hope you’ll enjoy this story about a heist gone wrong, and revenge taking place years later. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone that the bad guy is staying right in my condo , and the take-down in the parking garage below.

“Wine, Women, and Wrong” by Maggie King

Wine and sex. That’s how “Wine, Women, and Wrong,” my contribution to 50 Shades of Cabernet, a wine-themed mystery anthology, differs from the ones my talented fellow authors penned.

I emphasize the sensuous aspects of red wine—the taste, how it feels on the tongue. And I suggest a relationship between wine and sex. 

Consider my story opening:

“Ah! Sweet, bursting with berry flavor.” Lanie Jacobs mimicked the sales pitch of the wine merchant who’d poured the Ruby Port.

“Yet firm.” Rhonda Reay sipped and actually moaned in ecstasy. “Powerful.”

Lanie rolled her eyes. Was the woman having a sexual experience in the middle of a wine tasting party? Rhonda was her best friend but she could be embarrassing.

Is red wine an aphrodisiac? Studies suggest that it is. But I won’t get into the dull stuff, like brain activity and amines (organic compounds present in wine). And, when you pair the wine with a tasty appetizer, almost anything could happen! 

“These meatballs are amazing. They’re simply amazing.” Rhonda Reay popped one in her mouth. Tommy interpreted the coy look on her face as inviting. “What’s in this sauce?” she asked.

Tommy tried to remember what Camille had told him. “I believe it’s a pomegranate currant sauce.”

“It’s amazing,” she repeated. “And it pairs beautifully with this cab.” Rhonda drew her shoulders back and lifted her glass, as in a toast. “A graceful cabernet with generous flavors of cranberries, blackberries, and light baking spices. Full in body with a velvety smooth finish that coats the palate in soft tannins and lovely fruit.”

Is it the Cabernet, the gourmet meatballs, or the sexy Tommy that piques Rhonda Reay’s interest? Tommy is investigating the attempted murder of a local wine merchant and is trying to find out what Rhonda knows about it. Will he succumb to her charms and join her in a glass of Cabernet? Or two?

Read “Wine, Women, and Wrong” and find out.

“Friday’s Jewelry” by Ken Wingate

What makes “Friday's Jewelry” unique or different from all the rest of the stories in 50 Shades of Cabernet?

It could be that the Louis M. Martini LOT No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon featured in the story is the most expensive of all the rest of the wines in the other stories.  It is considered one of the finest Cabernets in the world.

It could be the beloved gift given by a grandmother to her granddaughter, holding a most powerful secret.

It could be the life-long friendship of the two primary characters.

It could be the surprising discovery in which the cork becomes the center of the investigation and the undoing of the thief.

I challenge you to read “Friday's Jewelry” and come to your own conclusion.

“Love the Wine You’re With” by Teresa Inge

“Love the Wine You’re With” takes place at a Virginia Beach wine tasting and includes a romance between Lewis McGehee, a real life, popular Virginia musician and my protagonist, Jules Riley. 

It was fun incorporating Lewis and his music into the story and transporting readers across Virginia’s unique but deadly landscape. 

“Par for the Course” by Heather Weidner

“Par for the Course” focuses on the dynamics among the different generations within a wealthy family, and wine plays a key role as one of the central businesses in their vast portfolio. I write what and where I know, and the Commonwealth of Virginia has over 230 wineries. So, the Blue Ridge Mountains became the perfect location for my fictional vineyard and winery.

In the story, Mona McKinley Scarborough, the family matriarch, doesn’t take no for an answer. When she’s not successful at convincing her granddaughter, Amanda, to make the right choice—to join the family’s winery—she plans a day of golf as a chance to draw them closer together. Their chat reveals some deadly secrets, and they learn that the grape may not fall far from the vine.

The Scarborough family, who can trace their roots back to Jamestown and the colonists, has been a fixture in Richmond’s capital society for more years than anyone can count. Their roots and dirty little secrets run deep. I like mysteries with lots of twists, and “Par for the Course” takes on several meanings throughout this tale, where we learn that some family secrets are as dark as the cabernet.

“And Wine to Make Glad the Heart” by James M. Jackson and Tina Whittle

“And Wine to Make Glad the Heart” is the only cowritten story in the anthology. It features Tina Whittle’s continuing characters Tai Randolph and Trey Seaver and James M. Jackson’s Seamus McCree and his darts-throwing mother. The four combine to solve a mystery involving Civil War antiquities using logic, guile, tarot cards, and the finest boxed cabernet (and other oxymorons).

“Name Your Poison” by Maria Hudgins

Recently an author friend of mine posted a dire notice on Facebook. She was expecting GUESTS. They were coming to stay at her house for several DAYS and she was expected to prepare FOOD. To many people this sounds like a good thing—unless these are guests you don’t like. But if you do like them, this is a good thing. Right?

Not if you’re a writer.

If you are the sort of writer I am, a perfect day is one in which the phone doesn’t ring, the doorbell doesn’t buzz, you have edible food in the fridge, and you have a comfy place to write.

I laughed to read the comments my friend got from other authors. “I feel your pain,” “Oh, I’m so sorry,” and “You can stay in my garage.”

It’s a writer thing.

Of course every writer is different and I do know some who are super-gregarious, but most of us are closet hermits. There’s something wrong with that phrase, closet hermits—a double negative? Anyway, here are the most common traits of dedicated writers:

1.             We observe life like a fly on the wall. It’s interesting but we avoid getting involved.

2.             Everything we say is reworded and reworded again in our heads. This limits how much we can say on any given occasion.

3.             We constantly write stories in our heads.

4.             We are obsessed with our current Work-in-Progress.

5.             We may be inherently messy or neat, but neither tendency concerns us much.

6.             We aren’t procrastinators. At least those who are published aren’t procrastinators.

7.             We are not perfectionists. As Bunter said to Lord Peter: “Perfect, my Lord. That is to say, slightly flawed.”

8.             Sometimes we worry that we aren’t quite normal.

9.             We are introverts. Our idea of hell is a cocktail party where we don’t know a soul.

In the new anthology 50 Shades of Cabernet, my story, “Name Your Poison,” starts with a cocktail party at a mystery conference—the sort of event where I usually drink too much too fast in the hopes that it will loosen my tongue and make me sparkle. Those of you who have attended a mystery conference will recognize the scene, if not the hapless victim of the story.

By the way, every story in 50 Shades uses the word “cabernet” at least once. I challenge you to find them all. 

HANK: Do we get wine while we’re looking? That is a treasure hunt I can completely get behind. Reds, are you wine aficionados? What’s your favorite?

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A toast to the authors of this wonderful new anthology!

And you can buy it here! Cheers!

Amazon Kindle: https://smile.amazon.com/50-Shades-Cabernet-Mysterious-Anthology-ebook/dp/B06XH65CP7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1490219484&sr=8-1

Amazon trade paperback: https://smile.amazon.com/50-Shades-Cabernet-Mysterious-Anthology/dp/1633933571/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1490219484&sr=8-1

Amazon hardcover: https://smile.amazon.com/50-Shades-Cabernet-Mysterious-Anthology/dp/1633933598/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1490219484&sr=8-1

For fun on Facebook and website:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/50ShadesofCabernet/


Website: https://www.50shadesofcabernet.com/

If you want to help out an indie bookstore, here are two possibles:

Mystery Loves Company in Oxford, MD, has the hardcover and trade paperback on their website: http://www.mysterylovescompany.com/search/site/50%20shades%20of%20cabernet

So does Scrawl Books in Reston, VA: http://www.scrawlbooks.com/search/site/50%2520shades%2520of%2520cabernet

Yes, We Promise Not To Tell

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Pssst. Do you want to know a secret? Well, sure you do. But the influence and generosity and talent of Jim Jackson is no secret!  He's president of the Guppies (Yay!) and works tirelessly with Sisters in Crime and the Guppies and his flow sister and brother authors. He's cut quite a swath through mystery world--and the Reds are always delighted to host him! 

He's got a new book--yay! see below-- but first, he's exploring secrets.  And, even better, telling them. And even more fascinating--they're family secrets. His. 

Secrets

   by Jim Jackson 

Do you want to hear a secret? Promise not to tell?

Of course you do. We all want to know other people’s secrets. The opening words to this post belong to Snow White as she breaks into the first song in the Disney version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I can hear George Harrison singing a rephrased version of these questions in the Beatle’s song “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” that was a track on their 1963 album Please Please Me.

Lean in with me and we can catch similar words as the start of a whispered conversation between two girls (or guys) of almost any age. We all have secrets.

Telling secrets starts soon after we learn to talk. We use small ones as currency to help develop friendships. We offer a small sliver of our hidden selves and judge how the person reacts. Will they still like us if they know . . . ?

We eagerly read the tabloids (or at least their headlines as we check out at the grocery store) to find out others’ secrets. Of course, when it’s ours, we don’t want people sharing. We hope to bury our big ones so deep that no one can find them. Ben Franklin’s “Three may keep a secret if two are dead,” reminds us that if we really want to keep a secret, we must keep it to ourselves.

How well do any of us know our relatives? Are they hiding secrets we should really know? I chose to explore those questions in DoubtfulRelations, the newest addition to the Seamus McCree series coming out August 23.

If you are like me, we often reference ancestors who did something of which we are proud. However, if we shake our family trees hard enough we’ll probably tumble out a passel of doubtful relations.

One of my early ancestors in North America died during a severe winter that wiped out a large percentage of the community. He was buried along with the other victims of starvation and disease. Well, that’s what they told the English authorities. Turns out the British crown was after him and with the community’s connivance, he “died” and was “resurrected” under an assumed name.

Not too many years later, in the mid-1600s, a Puritan minister relative on my father’s side forced a minister relative on my mother’s side to flee Massachusetts during the night—for religious purity reasons. That maternal relative found relief in the more religiously tolerant colony of Rhode Island.

Parts of my family have gone bankrupt; some divorced at a time when that was just not done; a great-grandfather abandoned his family and took off for the Alaska gold rush.

Those are the stories I do know. I wonder at the stories behind the names on my family tree that have no more details than a name and date of birth. What happened to them that we don’t even know when they died?

How about you? Any doubtful relations in your family tree?

HANK: Well, I had a really cool aunt named Portia. She was just like Grace Kelly, the way I remember it at least. Her very cool son had a Porsche. I just realized that. That's gotta be funny.  Hmm. Let me think. How about you, Reds?

***************

JamesM. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree mystery series. ANT FARM, BAD POLICY, CABIN FEVER, and DOUBTFUL RELATIONS (8/23/16). Jim is the president of the 600-member Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. He splits his time between the deep woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the open spaces of Georgia’s Lowcountry. Check out his website (http://jamesmjackson.com) for more information about him and his writing.

Doubtful Relations 

Financial crimes investigator Seamus McCree has wife problems, and Lizzie’s not even his wife anymore. Her current husband disappears on a business trip to Savannah. Has he been kidnapped? Dispatched by his hedge fund partners? Or run off with another woman? Police assume he’s AWOL, and Lizzie turns to Seamus for help.

Seamus has no desire to be sucked into Lizzie’s drama again, but her angst is also affecting their son, Paddy. Seamus agrees to help discover the truth, a quest that soon involves the entire extended family. Long buried secrets surface and each member must confront the question, “How far can you trust your family?”

Equal parts road trip, who done what, and domestic thriller, book four in the Seamus McCree series takes psychological suspense to a new level. Seamus McCree fans and newcomers alike will delight in this fast-paced novel that leaves no one in the family unchanged and keeps you guessing until the very end.

The Good Son says: Trust But Verify

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  

Oh, my goodness. Pull up a chair, and read this. You may not even know you need to know this. And even if you do--read it again. We are so grateful to Jim Jackson! 

And all hail! He is now officially the president of the Guppies, and he has revealed to me that he is having his granddaughter Photoshop a picture of him with bouffant hairdo and tiara, but says:  "alas, it is not yet available to share."

I'm not sure "alas" is the word I would choose. But anyway:

TRUST BUT VERIFY

   By James M. Jackson

 When my father died nearly three years ago, my mother asked me to take over the job of paying her bills and investing her assets. She had friends whose children did that for them, and she thought it would be a good idea. I said, “Sure.”

Mom completed the forms necessary to allow me to represent her with the mutual fund companies, brokerage firm, and banks that held her assets. I set up the accounts so I could handle things online, since I don’t live near my mother. I even opened a separate bank account so Mom could make ATM withdrawals, and if she lost or had that card stolen, the damage would be small, since I do not maintain a large balance in that account.

Aren’t I the good son?

According to federal officials, one in five elderly Americans reports being victims of financial exploitation. That’s 20% of our mothers and fathers – or ourselves, either now or in a few years. Another survey, this of banking officials, indicated half have dealt with suspected cases of elderly financial abuse.

Since the start of this year, more than 400 cases of elder abuse have been reported to the Tulsa Police Department, the vast majority dealing with financial exploitation. Annualizing and projecting that across the United States suggests there are well over a half million reported crimes for the year (and untold unreported crimes).

These crimes fall into two categories. First are those strangers perpetrate: internet and phone scams designed specifically for the elderly, and high pressure sales techniques especially effective for those of us who do not process information as quickly as we once did, or who sometimes become confused.

Morally worse are crimes committed by people trusted by the victim. That includes professionals with power of attorney or people with control over someone’s financial assets (as I do with my mother). Often these trusted individuals are family members.

How would anyone know if I am ripping off my mother? If I were trying to steal her money, I would go through the exact same procedures, have her sign the exact same forms. She trusts me; she’ll sign pretty much anything I tell her to (although in fairness to her, she always asks me what’s she’s signing, but I could lie.)

Last month I happened upon a news story from Panama City, Florida. Police charged a man in stealing his disabled mother’s car, pawning her jewelry, draining her bank account, and cashing her retirement and Social Security checks—oh, and leaving her and her animals to starve to death. That’s awful, isn’t it?

But no one knew until the mother was already dead.

This is an extreme case, but often family abuse (physical or financial) occurs when the elderly person either moves in with family members or a family member moves back home or after someone assumes responsibility for the person’s financial assets.

How to protect a family member (or yourself)

Ronald Reagan popularized the phrase “Trust but verify.” When it comes to financial assets, that policy should apply to anyone with the power to invest or spend (whether professionals or family members). If a professional advisor is involved, have a second set of statements sent to a family member (This should be easy to set up; if it is not, consider it a warning sign). I set up a Dropbox account I share with one of my sisters into which I periodically upload Mom’s financial statements. My sister can verify how I am spending Mom’s money and raise questions should something look suspicious.

My mother is still independent and shops using credit cards. All major cards, and many store cards, allow email alerts about certain kinds of charges. I have Mom’s set (and my own, as well) to alert me of any spending. Thieves often make a very small charge to determine if the card is good before going on a spending spree. If there is any charge I don’t recognize, I give Mom a call. This will also provide an early warning system on my mother’s mental processes should she start to slip.

Use the free annual reports from the three credit agencies to monitor credit. Set it up so every four months you get one of the free reports. If you have reason to believe that a parent has provided their social security number or date of birth or account numbers over the phone (no one should), you can set up a credit freeze so no one can set up a new credit card in the person’s name.

Do not sign anything you do not understand. I recently became aware of an elder law attorney who (1) set herself up as the executrix of the will (with compensation) and (2) attempted to slip into an estate plan the ability for the executrix (her) to change beneficiaries.

Remember, the old aphorism that if something “sounds too good to be true, it probably is” remains valid. Do not invest in any kind of security you do not fully understand. As we grow older many of us worry more about whether we’ll run out of money (regardless of our actual reality) and become more susceptible to investment schemes that enrich the seller at our expense because they are sold to “protect” our assets or money we want to leave to our heirs.

Develop an inventory of items such as jewelry, antiques, etc. that someone with home access could steal or pawn. Periodically make sure everything is still present.

If you have an elderly relative who lives alone, make sure someone makes daily contact. Often two friends can have a mutual agreement to call once a day. That’s all that would have been required to save that Florida disabled mom’s life.

Nothing can prevent 100% of elderly financial abuse, but these few simple steps will go a long way in protecting those we care about (and that includes ourselves, right?).

HANK: SO wise, Jim! And Jim will be here answering questions..so fire away. Well, first go check out his new book ANT FARM. And then ask questions.

 

James M. Jackson authors a series featuring the financial crimes consultant Seamus McCree. ANT FARM (2015), a prequel to BAD POLICY (2013) and CABIN FEVER (2014), recently won a Kindle Scout nomination. Ebook published by Kindle Press; print from Wolf’s Echo Press. BAD POLICY won the Evan Marshall Fiction Makeover Contest whose criteria were the freshness and commerciality of the story and quality of the writing.

His website is http://jamesmjackson.com where you can find more information about him (including social media links) and his books (including purchase links).

ANT FARM

In this thrilling prequel to Bad Policy and Cabin Fever, when thirty-eight retirees meet a gruesome end at a picnic meant to celebrate their achievements, financial crimes consultant Seamus McCree comes in to uncover the evil behind the botulism murders.

But the deadly picnic outside Chillicothe, Ohio, isn't the only treacherous investigation facing Seamus; he also worms his way into a Cincinnati murder investigation when the victim turns out to be a church friend's fiancé.

While police speculate this killing may have been the mistake of a dyslexic hit man, Seamus uncovers disturbing information of financial chicanery, and by doing so, puts his son in danger and places a target on his own back. Can Seamus bring the truth to light, or will those who have already killed to keep their secrets succeed in silencing a threat once more?

link for ant farm: http://jamesmjackson.com/Novels/ant-farm.html

website link: http://jamesmjackson.com