Book Description:
Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something.
Spencer’s police chief, David O’Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac Faraday to stay away from the south end of Spencer’s mountaintop – even though he owns the property. It doesn’t take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!
Topping the list of the 10 top haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago – and Mac Faraday owns it!
In spite of David’s warning, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.
What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet – including a wolf man. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.
Buy the Book: Amazon ~ Audible
Interview with Lauren Carr
1) Give us a tweet of The Murders at Astaire Castle-140 characters or less.
Haunted or Cursed? Read Lauren Carr’s THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE to decide. #mystery
2) Sounds scary. Tell us more.
In The Murders at Astaire Castle, Mac Faraday discovers that he owns a haunted castle. Or is it cursed?
Topping the list of the ten most haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago—and Mac Faraday owns it!
In spite of David’s warning, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.
What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet—including a wolf man. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.
3) The Murders at Astaire Castle is the first mystery you have written with paranormal in it. Do you normally read paranormal or did you read paranormal when you were growing up?
I think I am the only person in America who has not read a vampire romance. It isn’t that I don’t like paranormal. I just prefer murder mysteries.
Yet, Halloween has always been a fun time. It’s the time to break out and be someone else. As a child, I would pretend to be one of the Bobbsey Twins searching for clues to lead me to a secret treasure. If I was lucky, it was made up of chocolate. As a teenager, I was Nancy Drew. Always, when October rolled around, I craved mysteries with something extra added—something beyond the normal—something supernatural. As an author, I couldn’t resist taking this one Mac Faraday Mystery on a scary Halloween adventure.
Since I like ghost stories and haunted houses, or castle, I centered my Halloween Mac Faraday mystery around Astaire Castle, the most haunted place in America.
4) How long does it take you to write a book?
Ideally, it takes three to four months to write a mystery, from sitting down to write the rough draft to editing and then release. However, that time is not counting how long I will spend thinking about the murder case and researching it. I can spend as much as a year thinking through a plot before I actually sit down to write it.
5) What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’ll write anywhere. I have a writer’s studio in the top floor of our home, but when I get inspired, if I can sit down with my laptop, I’ll write anywhere—in bed, a corner of the sitting room, or recliner in the living room. My husband has even walked into the kitchen to find me sitting on a stool rewriting a chapter at the kitchen counter.
6) What is next for you?
The next Lovers in Crime Mystery, Killer in the Band, is available now. I am currently on tour with iRead Book tours (http://www.ireadbooktours.com/blog—current-tours/book-tour-killer-in-the-band-a-lovers-in-crime-mystery-by-lauren-carr
Joshua’s eldest son, Joshua “J.J.” Thornton Jr., has graduated at the top of his class from law school and returns home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to Joshua’s and Cameron’s shock and dismay, J.J. moves into the main house at Russell Ridge Farm, the largest dairy farm in the Ohio Valley, to rekindle a romance with Suellen Russell, a onetime leader of a rock group who’s twice his age. Quickly, they learn that she has been keeping a deep dark secret.
The move brings long-buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. But when a brutal killer strikes, the Lovers in Crime must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the cross hairs of a murderer.
But wait! There’s more!
On January 1, 2017, the latest Thorny Rose Mystery will be released! In A Fine Year for Murder, Jessica Faraday and her husband, Murphy Thornton, dive into the cold case murder at a family owned winery.
After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.
When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family living near a winery owned by distant relatives she was visiting and suppressed the memory.
Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?
Author’s Bio:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries. The twelfth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series, Candidate for Murder will be released June 2016.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Connect with Lauren: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Book Trailer:
Review:
Let me start with the fact that I had never read any of the Mac Faraday novels before. That in no way diminished the story. Many authors waste too much time “catching the reader up” on all umpteen books you have missed. Not true of Lauren Carr. Her characters are so masterfully drawn that you have an instant rapport with them. My husband and I had fallen in love with Knarly by the first piece of beef jerky. The story picks up right away and you never feel like it is dragging at any point. Ms Carr doesn’t make the mistake of boring us while trying to develop her characters. Every piece of information on the characters directly and seamlessly fits into the story.
Without giving away the story, because well frankly I hate that when I read a review, let me say that this mystery has more twists and turns than a West Virginia mountain road. Every time I thought I had it figured out, bam another twist. This made the story a joy to read. I also loved that the book didn’t end with just “here’s the killer.” This story was neatly wrapped up and tied with a bow. Nothing left to wonder about, why or who or what. Plenty of room for more adventures with Knarly and the gang but I wasn’t left feeling like the last two chapters had been torn from the book.
I am a huge fan of books on tape. One of the biggest challenges for a narrator in an audible book is doing voices of characters of the opposite sex. In this book there are several women of the opposite sex and Dan Lawson does a terrific job of keeping those voices different and clearly female. My husband and I listed to this book together in the car on the way from LA to Phoenix and back again. We could not wait to get back in the car, after each pit stop, to start the story up again. Dan lawson does a wonderful job injecting feeling into his narration. On a long car trip a bad narrator can put you to sleep and a good one can make the time fly. Dan Lawson is one of the GOOD ones.
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Oct 3 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – review
Oct 3 – Books, Dreams, Life – review / guest post / giveaway
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Oct 7 – Katherine Scott Jones – review / giveaway
Oct 7 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – review / giveaway
Oct 10 – Nighttime Reading Center – review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 10 – The Autistic Gamer – review (ebook)
Oct 10 – Bless Their Hearts Mom – review (ebook) / guest post / giveaway
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Oct 14 – Jessica Cassidy – review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 14 – Olio by Marilyn – review (ebook) / giveaway
Oct 17 – Dab of Darkness – review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 17 – Readers Muse – review (ebook)
Oct 18 – Bound 4 Escape – review / giveaway
Oct 18 – Books Reviews, Nature Photos – review (ebook) / author interview
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Oct 20 – Life as Leels – review
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