The Two-Faced Triplex by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

I'm thrilled to have Nancy Lynn Jarvis, friend, and author of The Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries here today to discuss her latest release The Two-Faced Triplex. This is the 7th book in the series, and Nancy says it's the last.

In her guest post, Cherokee Wisdom, she'll tell you why. . .

CHEROKEE WISDOM

Readers often ask how much of what I write is based on my life and experiences. I tell them all the real estate stories in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series are true―they happened to me or to the Realtors I know―but the murders and everything else is not. It’s not really that simple, though, and that made writing “The Two-Faced Triplex” incredibly difficult.

When I began my first book, “The Death Contingency,” the protagonists were Nancy―me―and Craig, my husband. But Nancy and Craig wouldn’t do what I wanted them to do―they just weren’t good at following directions―so I quickly made them Regan and Tom, hoping that would improve our working relationship.

Their personalities evolved with their names until they weren’t Nancy and Craig at all…except for one thing: Tom still had Craig’s incredibly blue eyes. Regan mentions them often, and they were a major clue to solving the murders, in “Buying Murder.”

Craig’s role in my mystery writing evolved, too. He became my beta reader and eventually a darned good content editor. We would spend hours whipping the books into shape before sending them to my editor. The pre-editor part was tricky, but we made up for that when we went to work designing the book covers. That was the fun part.

Craig died of Multiple Myeloma a year-and-a-half ago. I had the plot for “The Two-Faced Triplex” in mind before he died, but for a while, after his death, I couldn’t concentrate enough to do anything useful, let alone write. Once I did start on the book, it was incredibly difficult to imagine Tom because, when I did, I saw Craig’s blue eyes. As the book progressed, rather than writing faster, which is my normal pattern, I slowed down.

I didn’t want to end “The Two-Faced Triplex” because it would be the last in the series I have so enjoyed writing. Once finished, “The Two-Faced Triplex” would mark the end of a major part of my life and the end of Craig’s and my collaboration.

Last year I did Ancestry© and discovered the rumored Cherokee bride in my ancestral line was real. Perhaps that’s why I have always been so taken with this Cherokee parable, so taken with it, that I made it the last thing Tom said.

“It’s an old bit of Cherokee wisdom,” Tom answered. “According to Cherokee lore, a grandfather explained to his grandson that there are two wolves struggling inside each of us. One wolf is vengefulness, anger, resentment, self-pity, and fear. The other wolf is compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, and love. When his grandson asked, ‘Grandfather, which wolf wins?’ his grandfather replied, ‘The one you feed.’

Before Craig died, he made me promise that I would have a good life. Finishing “The Two-Faced Triplex” was hard, but it was a part of keeping my promise and part of feeding the right wolf.

~~*****~~

The Two-Faced Triplex

Regan signs on to play consoler-and-chief after the body of Martha Varner, one of her favorite clients, is found and the woman’s distraught daughter begs Regan to stop escrow from closing on a purchase her mother was about to make. Martha Varner’s death, at first ruled suicide, is quickly ruled homicide. The dead woman’s best friend thinks she knows who Martha’s killer is. The police have a different suspect. And Regan? Well, she has her own ideas about who killed Martha Varner. She just can’t imagine how complicated playing amateur sleuth will make her life and how dangerous her investigation will prove to be for her husband, Tom. The Two-Faced Triplex is the seventh book in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series and probably the last of Regan and Tom's adventures. Dave, Santa Cruz Police Department Ombudsman and Regan's best friend, makes a return appearance and Harry, Regan and Tom's rescue cat is pressed into service as a decoy. As usual, action takes place in Santa Cruz County, but clues lead Regan to Carmel as she tries to find out what Martha was doing in the days leading up to her murder.

            Buy the Two-Faced Triplex thru Amazon

~~*****~~

About the Author

Nancy Lynn Jarvis was a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor® for more than twenty years before she fell in love with writing and let her license lapse. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC. Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years, a philosophy she applies to her writing, as well. This is the seventh book in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series but she has taken breaks to write a stand-alone book called “Mags and the AARP Gang” about a group of octogenarian bank robbers, and to edit “Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes.” She planned to start a new series, “Geezers with Tools” but book seven in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mystery series kept calling her, so Geezers was put on hold temporarily. She’s also editing an anthology of short stories from Santa Cruz authors with the title and theme “Santa Cruz Weird.”

 ~~*****~~

Thank you for sharing your courage with us, Nancy.

Writers, how much of you is in your stories?

A COZY MYSTERY!

Today, I'm visiting Sylvia Ney @Writing in Wonderland and talking about Parallels: Felix Was Here and my story EVER-TON!

But here today please welcome

Nancy Lynn Jarvis,

author of the 

Regan McHenry Cozy Mystery Series. 

Nancy is here to give us some insight 

into her writing madness

&

to introduce her latest Regan McHenry Mystery

You can read my review HERE!

A NEIGHBORLY KILLING

1.             Can you tell your readers something about why you chose this particular topic to write about? What appealed to you about it? Why do you think it is different, and your approach is unique?

I recently saw a post on Facebook that read, “I am a writer. Anything you say or do may be used in a story.” That pretty much sums up how I get ideas and how I work. Take A Neighborly Killing, for example. I have a real neighbor who was the model for the dead neighbor in the story. I made some observations about him in real life and wove a story around him based on those observations. The ironic thing is that more and more of my made up story line is looking like it’s true. (Oh, gosh, I hope he doesn’t read this; if he does I’m in trouble.)

It’s not the first time I’ve made up things for use in books only to have them come true, either. I know writers do use what they see and hear — that’s quite normal — but having something I made up become a headline in our local newspaper, well. I don’t think that is.

2.             How long does it take to research a topic before you write? And for this book? Did you learn something unusual during your research that you can share here?

It’s surprising how much research goes into something as straightforward as a current-day mystery. I don’t mind, though, because I love doing the research involved and always learn some new fact.  I knew bullets can be tied to a specific weapon, but because of A Neighborly Killing, I learned  that gunpowder residue can be as well.

3.             Do you use professionals to verify your facts, such as the police? Is there a good way to approach them? How valuable is their input? Or do you just wing it?

The real estate facts I use are easy since, after twenty five years as a Realtor, I’m an expert. For the rest of my research, I use a friend who is a private investigator and the internet. I’ve discovered a website where you can ask a question and police will respond, another where doctors will answer questions, and my favorite, a site where military personnel will offer opinions about the fastest and quietest way of dispatching someone while facing them or from behind. And then, there’s always Decomposition for Dummies which is like the whole series of ...for Dummies books but much more graphic.

Other Regan McHenry Mysteries

4.             Does writing provide you a sufficient income to live on? If so, how long did it take before this happened? Is it your goal to be financially successful, or do you write and publish solely for the 'satisfaction of sharing your stories'?

What an interesting question. I could never “live” as in pay the mortgage, feed my family, and keep up with utilities and  gas for my SUV on what I make from selling books, but considering I never expected to make any money selling what I wrote, I’m doing very well! I guess my answer is it depends on my perspective. Let’s say I make enough money from book sales to do some fun things with it.

5.             What's the funniest thing that happened to you on a book tour.

I don’t know if you’ll find it funny as I do or a sad commentary on people. I had a woman pick up one of my books, read the book-back teaser, and pronounce the book as sounding quite interesting. I thought I’d made a sale. Then she asked me what The New York Times Book Review said about the book. 

I remember a funny exchange on the TV show “Castle” where he was asked that same question and said the Book Review of New York loved his book and that he had paid a considerable amount of money for that high praise. I considered answering her similarly, but instead told her that my books flew considerably under The New York Times Book Review section radar. I suggested she should read the book and tell me what she thought of it.

Her response had me rolling on the floor. “I could never decide if I like a book or not from reading it. I depend on The New York Times to tell me if I like it or not,” she said.

6.              What's the next step for you? Television, movies, a new genre? Tell us what the future holds - what can your fans expect?

I’ve started writing a new series called Geezers With Tools about two retired men who start a handyman business. One of them is a recent widower who needs a diversion and the other is a self-styled player who hopes to meet single women thru the business. They’ll solve crimes in the course of doing fix-ups.

I also got a fantastic idea for another Regan McHenry Real Estate Mystery from a friend recently so there will be a book seven.

And, fingers crossed, The Death Contingency, the first in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series, has been optioned as has Mags and the AARP Gang, a stand-alone comedy I wrote about octogenarian bank robbers. I’m not holding my breath because optioned to produced to screened is a long and usually not completed journey, but you never know.

BUY HERE!

Waking up to gunshots and discovering the body of their neighbor just outside their bedroom door is bad enough, but when the Coroner rules the death a suicide, Realtors Regan McHenry and her husband Tom Kiley don’t believe it for a minute. Never mind what the physical evidence says; they heard their dead neighbor arguing with someone in the moments preceding his death.

What really happened has become more than just a mystery they’d like to solve because the circumstances of their dead neighbor’s past keep interfering with their present and putting them in danger.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nancy Lynn Jarvis finally acknowledged she was having too much fun writing to ever sell another house, so she let her license lapse in May of 2013, after her twenty-fifth anniversary in real estate. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC. She invites you to take a peek into the real estate world through the stories that form the backdrop of her Regan McHenry mysteries. Real estate details and ideas come from Nancy's own experiences.

What about you readers, ever use a real person as the 

antagonist or protagonist of your novel?

Would your profession work to create a cozy series?

Do you have a question for Nancy?

A NEIGHBORLY KILLING

I'm thrilled to announce that 

Nancy Lynn Jarvis has just released her 6th 

Regan McHenry Mystery!

Congratulations, Nancy!

Waking up to gunshots and discovering the body of their neighbor just outside their bedroom door is bad enough, but when the Coroner rules the death a suicide, Realtors Regan McHenry and her husband Tom Kiley don’t believe it for a minute. Never mind what the physical evidence says; they heard their dead neighbor arguing with someone in the moments preceding his death. 

What really happened has become more than just a mystery they’d like to solve because the circumstances of their dead neighbor’s past keep interfering with their present and putting them in danger.

***

AMAZON

It’s unnerving to be awakened by gunfire, but when it’s in your back yard, that’s hardly something you can ignore. When a body is the result of what shocked you out of sleep, you don’t get over it easily. And when it turns out the dead man is your next door neighbor, well, that calls for some serious questioning. At least that’s the way I see it.

 Regan McHenry

My Review

A Neighborly Killing

By

Nancy Lynn Jarvis

What would you do if someone died in your back yard? You're certain it was murder, but the evidence clearly indicates suicide.

As well as an absorbing mystery, Ms. Jarvis takes us on a journey many would fear to tread. However, this time, it's not only the heroic Regan McHenry who's anxious to find the truth. Her husband, Tom, whose usually the reluctant one, leads the way, much to the shock of Regan and their loyal but fearful Santa Cruz Police Ombudsman Dave Everett.

Death occurs every day. Can you answer the question; have you bought a place where a murder occurred? If there are laws regarding such in your state, it's usually three years. Would you want to know?

The premise of A Neighborly Killing is unique, modern, filled with intrigue, and has a compelling and satisfying ending. Well done, Nancy Lynn Jarvis, you have an award winner!

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

Nancy Lynn Jarvis invites you to take a peek into the real estate world through the stories that form the backdrop of her Regan McHenry mysteries. Real estate details and ideas come from Nancy’s own experiences. She is working on the seventh book in the series.

***

What do you think about knowing the history 

of the property you've bought or are buying. 

Do you want to know the deaths 

that have occurred there?

I own a house that's over 100 years old, 

and I haven't asked. 

Not sure I want to know! 

Would you?

DESPERATION HOLLER

ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS
of the

DESPERATION HOLLER
2015 HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE

Thank you, to all the wonderful writers who participated in my Halloween Interview and Flash Fiction Challenge. I enjoyed reading all the interview answers, and gaining insight into each author's horror background and Halloween secrets.

But my favorite part was the flash fiction challenge that required them to use the same 100 word begining to write their stories. They then took the character of Jerry and gave us a Halloween tale of horrific dimensions, and Jerry found himself in hot water quite a few times. Thank you, for your excellent flashes!

Thom Futrell, author of Empty Graves made Jerry an Arch Bishop, did that save him from the evil of the night?

Christine Rains, the author Of Blood & Sorrow had Jerry's mother, a truly evil witch needing a soul to release the fiends of Halloween. Would Jerry escape her clutches?

Julia Press Simmons, author of The Bloody Mary Coven made Jerry an avenging angel, and he fought evil with a smile, and I think a cigarette in his mouth, but did he succeed?

Shannon Lawrence the author of The Blue Mist insisted Jerry was the "one soul to lead them all." What did she mean by that?

Cathrina Constantine author of Don't Forget to Breathe had Jerry ready to take his revenge on the witches, but did he succeed?

DeAnna Knippling, author of Alice's Adventures in Underland had a treasure hunting Jerry descending into the darkest of basements. Did he find his treasure?

Tara Tyler, author of Simulation had Jerry planning vengeance on the witches using all the rules, but did following the rules work in his favor?

Nancy Lynn Jarvis, author of The Widow's Walk League had Jerry providing the children for the witches pies, and fulfilling her deepest desire for mincemeat pie.

Ann M. Noser author of Dead GirlRunning had Jerry trying to turn his witch of a sister straight, but was she willing?

A special thank you to Walter P. Honsinger who sent a ghostly tale, The Tomb, based on a true story. The Tomb is set in New Orleans and a graveyard where the characters spent the night during a Voodoo ritual.

~~~ ~~~
INTRODUCING JUDGE 
WENDY ELY

Today I'm also excited to introduce editor, Wendy Ely. The judge for my Halloween flash fiction contest. I knew I couldn't choose a winner, I loved them all, but Wendy volunteered and I was delighted. I met Wendy on Facebook and she's done a beautiful job on several of my writing projects.  Thanks, Wendy!

Wendy started her writing and editing career in January of 2008. Since the start of her career, her passion for the craft has only grown stronger. Not only does she have the drive to perfect her own books she wants to help other busy authors as well. She has several years of freelance editing experience, and recently attended advanced grammar classes in college. Wendy has extensively studied the craft of writing, and is a USA Today bestselling author.

Wendy feels she succeeds when her client succeeds. And claims that editing should be as creative and as enjoyable as possible. Her goal is to provide fast, friendly, and efficient service while working with her clients. 

I can attest to her speed!

She also knows that no author is the same, so she'll tailor an editing plan specifically to you. Wendy uses her passion for the craft along with her education to give all her clients the best editing experience that she can.

I highly recommend Wendy's services!

Check out her website

http://creativemanuscripts.blogspot.com/

or send her an email:

creativemanuscripts@gmail.com

~~~~~ ~~~~~

And now without further delay

the winners of the

2015 Halloween Flash Fiction Contest are:

1st place & the winner of a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Shannon Lawrence

The Blue Mist

Wendy says, "The author used great imagery in her writing. It had a great mixture of humorous dialogue and an interesting twist."

CONGRATULATIONS SHANNON!

2nd place & the winner of a $7 Amazon Gift Card

Thom Futrell

Empty Graves

Wendy said, "The story flow was well done. It kept me entertained and the ending was a shock."

CONGRATULATIONS THOM!

3rd place & the winner of a $5 Amazon Gift Card

Christine Rains

 Of Blood & Sorrow

Wendy said your piece showed, "Clever writing and was enjoyable!"

CONGRATULATIONS CHRISTINE!

For all authors who participated Wendy is kindly

offering a discount on her editing services –

$25 off any manuscript over 100 pages.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!

AND THANK YOU AGAIN

YOU MADE MY HALLOWEEN A REAL TREAT!

THE WIDOW'S WALK LEAGUE

MY NEXT VICTIM THIS HALLOWEEN!

IS NANCY LYNN JARVIS

Thanks, Nancy, for agreeing to be part of the fun.

Drum roll for Nancy's

Halloween Interview & Flash Fiction Challenge

     1.  You're born on Halloween and have the ghostly evil super powers of one of the following: The Ghost from Poltergeist, The Frankenstein Monster, The Mummy, The most Evil of Witches, The Devil himself, Freddy Kruger, Pumpkin Head, Michael from Halloween, or Jason from Friday the 13^th. Alternatively, if you prefer, pick one of your own. Otherwise, tell us which one you would choose and why? No friendly ghosts allowed! You're to wreak havoc in this scenario!

I would use the ghost of the drunken seventeen year old who fell into the frigid Pacific when he tried to pee off a cliff near Davenport. He died on Halloween, the day the first Regan McHenry Real estate mystery was published. He lurks under the waves and drags surfers who are foolish enough to surf alone off their boards to a watery death deep in the ocean.

       2. The Zombie Apocalypse is going to occur this Halloween and for 48 hours, the world is thrown into chaos. Live through it and consider yourself lucky, you've been warned. What is your first step, especially as no one else knows or believes you? Do you leave family behind and seek shelter to ride it out, or do you try to save your family? How and why?

 I’d try to save not only my family, but a group of friends. I’d invite them to a Halloween party at an abandoned factory which has been carefully sealed with concrete in the windows. Once inside, I’d close a massive metal door and secure it with many bolts and beams. We’d party through the whole apocalypse.\

     3.  Because of the time of your birth, (see the 1^st question) the angels have decided to forgive your sins and are offering to remedy one evil that now exists in the world, but only one! Which would you choose and why?

I’d put the Middle East back together because it’s such a cruel place at the moment.

4.   Why is Halloween a favorite holiday, or not a favorite, and if it isn't why did you participate in this query? Come on; tell us your biggest most secret Halloween fantasy!

Opening from “The Widow’s Walk League” which explains why Halloween is so appealing not only in Santa Cruz, but everywhere. “Halloween in Santa Cruz coupled unbridled creativity with people freed from their normal inhibitions. The night was festive and exhilarating, but with so many people anonymous behind masks, there was always the potential for trouble.”

 I’ve seen my Halloween fantasy done. The reactions of the people who were given a piece of paper with their death date on it by a person in a black shroud was so spectacular, I used it in the book. I may do that again this Halloween.

 Now the fun part: Finish the story. I've given you the first 100 words. Provide us with the rest, but please hold the number to 750 words or less unless the restriction is just impossible then no more than 1000 words. The winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. The contest will be judged by another lover of the horror genre, the person to be announced later. The winner will be posted no later than a week after Halloween!

DESPERATION HOLLER

Jerry sauntered along Desperation Holler Road that earlier echoed with the excited shouts of ghosts and ghouls as the children scrambled from house to house in colorful and frightening costumes.

Dusk dissolved into the blackest of nights as the little monsters disappeared into the shelter of the brightly lit houses with their chocolate goodies.

Jerry smiled, even suppressed laughter, because he knew there was no refuge, not in Desperation Holler on this most evil of Halloweens.

Concealed by the dark limbs of deformed trees and invasive ivy, the innocuous little cabin looked abandoned, but Jerry knew better. 

The witches abode was anything but abandoned. Jerry used the secret knock—three rapid strikes followed by silence for a count of three, and then three more rapid knocks—and waited for the door to open.

He was greeted by the quintessential grandmother: an old woman short and round, her gray-haired pulled into a neat bun and her pink coat sweater buttoned at her neck to better display a large smiling jack-o-lantern pin attached to it near her shoulder. She reached into the basket slung over her arm and produced a Snickers Bar, not the fun size but a full-sized dollar bar, and extended it toward Jerry.

After a quick look left and right to make certain no one was spying, she morphed into a hunchbacked witch with a long curved nose complete with a prominent mole. Her lips turned up into a cruel smile. “Come in, my darling,” she cooed. 

“You have done well this evening. I have four children-pies backing in the oven and only need one more pie for my coven’s midnight party. “He’s another bunch of stuffed animals for you; use them to bring me two more children and then all my candy will be wrapped in hundred dollar bills and be just for you.

“Here’s a special toy,” she said as she placed a large stuffed spider around his shoulders, “a treat for you, my darling.” The witch pointed a bony finger in his direction. As she did so, the spider tightening its legs around Jerry’s neck as it sunk its fangs into his jugular vein. Stuffed animals flew from his arms as he twisted and struggled to pull the spider off.

His anguish only lasted a few seconds before he collapsed. “Thank you, my pet,” she cackled at the spider. “He’s a big one. I’ll have enough of him for my famous mincemeat pie and may be able to make some head cheese out of him as well. What’s that? Yes, of course, all his blood belongs to you.”

~The End~

 Santa Cruz husbands are being murdered. The local news media is buzzing because a dark-clad figure witnesses describe as Death has been seen lurking nearby each time a murder is committed.

 When new widows start hiring real estate agent Regan McHenry to sell their houses, she discovers all the murdered men have something in common: their wives belong to a walking group called The Widow’s Walk League.

No wonder Regan is worried when the group’s leader starts paying special attention to her husband, Tom.

Regan invites you to attend Woodies on the Wharf and go to a séance with her as adventures unfold and she tries to keep her husband safe in the fourth book in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mystery Series.

Regan’s best friend, Dave Everett, Santa Cruz Police Community Relations Ombudsman, is back to lead a new cast of quirky characters and struggle with Regan’s amateur detecting.

Amazon

Nancy Lynn Jarvis was a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor for twenty-five years but was having so much fun writing that she let her license lapse in May of 2013.

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz. Nancy's work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years. Writing is her newest adventure. 

Thanks Nancy!

I hate spiders but love your ending!

Come on folks a comment may win you a copy of

The Widow's Walk League!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

*****
CONGRATULATIONS!
DENISE COVEY
YOU'VE WON AN EBOOK
COPY OF
THE WIDOW'S WALK LEAGUE

*****

Have you read the Halloween
stories from the 
WEP - Halloween Challenge
Magical - Frightening - Fun!