Madness Made in Mayhem, Book 2 of the Grit & Grace Mystery series will be released on October 15. Hip hip, hooray! Only a three-month wait since Match Made in Mayhem, Book 1 released. But some readers have been saying HURRY UP! I typed as fast as I could! A three month interval is perfect. Unless I wrote a madman (kinda like what I did). ME: Grab Match Made in Mayhem so you're all caught up. That's only a small yet shameless plug. A preview: “Every contact leaves a trace. Som

Yes, I own these. Great for boxes. For an early book which included hand-to-hand combat, I decided I needed to know how to throw a knife if I was going to write it effectively. (This is what all tell ourselves, by the way.) This was research. That is what writers call questionable decisions when we want them to sound professional. First, let me preface it with Just How Badly Things Went (yes, it could have been worse). Years back, my mother knew well about the longstanding si

Fascination with forensics led me from examining cremated chicken to fingerprinting. Fingerprinting required concentration. Concentration required silence. In my house, silence meant midnight. So sometime around midnight, I started dusting for prints in the kitchen. I printed everything. Everything. Glasses. Appliances. Counters. Handles. Doors. Anything that looked remotely capable of harboring a fingerprint became evidence. By the time I finished, it was far too late to cle

My dad never cooked half-ashed. The Chicken Was Done When It Became a Mineral ... My mom was a great cook. My dad could wield salad fixings like no one’s business. But chicken? We learned early that chicken was his forte. It didn’t melt in our mouths. Toxic briquette ash disintegrated in our mouths, and we thought it was awesome. And because we oohed and ah’d through every bite, right down to the burnt bone, friends and neighbors followed along. By the end of the meal, we loo

You want me to WHAT?! Marketing. Branding. Trying not to pass out in saying those words. Your best friend says, "Give a speech." Or, "Get a podcast interview, or ask to be on a radio show. Go out and teach a class on writing. Or handling rejection letters. Or navigating a contract." Etcetera. I don't know about you, but if that isn't the best way to break out in a sweat, I don't know what is. Yeah. Okay, so years ago. "Years Ago." I was getting ready to give a speech. At the

Some great ideas from Patricia Bradley - one of my favorite authors. This time around, let's do "FIRST LINES." Because Match Made in Mayhem is on the shelf, waiting for you, it's time to check out the first lines. CHAPTER ONE Luke Barritt The Beast Monday, April 5, 6:45 a.m. Dispatch had called twenty minutes ago. Possible homicide, body in the water at Mana Paya Park. Most mornings, precinct doughnuts and coffee kept me civil. Sure, dead bodies don’t keep office hours—but ad

Book Two of the Grit & Grace Mystery Series comes out in the Fall. Maybe in September. Maybe in October. Maybe ... in November. Madness Made in Mayhem (under One Candle Press). Well, okay, yeah, that's my writing chaos but it's the actual name of the title, which is not about my writing process. Much to my relief. I actually do know the month. But I don't have the date. Yet. Detectives Luke Barritt & Dakota Littlebear continue their merry adventures in crime. But a good deal

WISDOM from an expert. BEFORE you say: "Why am I getting so many posts from this chick?" - well, it's marketing (ME: holds up 2o bulbs of garlic, a cross, and me, waiting for the marketing devil to hiss). Read this. Unless of course, you have no desire to sell your books. Jason William Karpf Jul 17, 2026 If you’re a Christian author or creator, let me ask a simple question: How do you feel about marketing? If your first response is something like “I hate it,” you’re not alon

In a few days. On Kindle. On KU. Audible? Cometh soon(ish) PAPERBACK. (if you wish to be on the launch team, let me know!) Should I be this excited? YES. Of course. First book under the One Candle Press imprint Woot woot! It's Crime. It's Christian It's a Mystery (how these two detectives will ever get along) And it's a series HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS!

When I started this journey (self-publishing), I found it to be a steep learning curve. Have you ever felt like throwing your computer out the window? If so, you are not alone. I may be the poster child for frustration. Time-consuming. Saying, "HUH?" a lot. I admit, it's a pain in my tuchus. So here I am. What have I gotten myself into? Well. Okay, yes, I like having more control over my work. Yes, I do like having an editor to scribble all over my manuscripts (thank you, Hel

Nope not slacking

Murder investigations Police procedural elements Forensic details when they serve the story Moral and emotional stakes Humor, banter, and romantic tension Faith threads without sermonizing Little to no profanity No explicit sexual content No gratuitous gore Romantic suspense and Edgy Christian fiction skate the edges of our violent world. These are clean mysteries, not cozy mysteries. The stories may include murder, danger, grief, forensic realities, and moral darkness, but t

Well, if you haven't, let me help you out. One Candle Press is up and running. An independent press under an imprint I think you'll like: Here, you'll find all my titles and revised editions. Some books "will" have little revision, while others have titles you won't recognize, cover changes, and some, with significant changes to the novel itself. I am preparing the previously published books ready, and am continuing work on the Grit & Grace Mystery series. Also, Whiskey Rive

I've been slow in blogging. I do have a good excuse. I started a new series, sorta all at once. The Grit & Grace series, a complete and thorough police procedural, all three books sorta at once. Book one, "Match Made in Mayhem," is due in May (date unknown). Am accepting those who want an ARC copy for those who love free books. Luke Barritt & Dakota Littlebear live in a small town near Warm Springs Reservation. They are new partners at odds. She's dynamite in a small package.

WELL. I committed myself (to an insane assylum) to cooking (not all) for Thanksgiving. I may faint. Bake? Cook? While trying to do a form of NanoWrimo (defunct) through ProWritingAid? Ha. Adorable. FINE. So have I been reading? Honestly I've been crazy busy writing a new series, The Grit & Grace Mystery series. Book One - 'A Match Made in Mayhem' is with the publisher, and I am halfway through (WIP title) 'A Madness Comes to Mayhem.' The Grit & Grace page has a blurbs (one in

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