A story addict since an early exposure to Dr. Seuss, award-winning author of over 30 novels and novellas, Michelle Levigne has been creating her own stories, heroes and adventures since junior high. She ventures into many sub-genres of science fiction, paranormal, romance and fantasy, including Greek mythology, Narnia spin-offs and her futuristic universe, the Commonwealth.
Michelle writes something for everyone! After all, since she likes to read all over the board, why not WRITE all over the board?
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Novelist Maggie Tortelli considers dropping her pen name and persona, Magda Torrene, thanks to a psychotic fan who begins stalking her, expecting her to be Stacy Peach, the slinky PI she'd created. Maggie knows it's time to get out of the writing business and return full time to investigative work, but her PI boss, Byron Stone, has numerous enemies of his own, and one of them also tries to frame Maggie for murder.To keep Maggie safe, Byron recruits his handsome PI buddy, Rick Sloane, to become her bodyguard. Rick, however, has reservations about his assignment, until he discovers that the woman behind the character of Stacy Peach really knows her police procedural, has a calm head in a crisis, and is someone he truly wants to get to know better.
When Rick and Maggie find themselves stranded on a remote Lake Erie island during a winter storm, they mistakenly believe they can relax in their hidden hideaway. Yet once the weather breaks, it soon becomes a struggle for survival and a question of who will get to Rick and Maggie first - the psycho, the murderer, or Maggie's mysterious new relatives who conveniently come running to the rescue...
WIN - Today Michelle's got party favors for everyone!!! Everyone who joins the party by leaving a question or comment today over here on our Cyber Launch Party will get some peachy sweets and a sampler CD! All you need to do is leave a comment, then email your mailing address to Michelle at MLevigne at aol.com with "Just Peachy" in the subject line. How Sweet!
Happy Release Day Michelle!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thanks so much for party favors!! How nice of you to hook ALL OF US UP with some sweets and your sampler CD!
Congrats on your third release in this series - should the books be order?
Enjoy your party and I hope the new book is your biggest seller yet!
Happy Release Day. How exciting!
ReplyDeleteWhat is your opinion on book trailers? Do you think they help in book sales?
Thanks,
Tracey D
Short Excerpt from JUST PEACHY
ReplyDeleteRunning out of time…
Rule of Survival #7: The longer you’re out in the open, visible to the enemy, the higher the odds of being caught, trapped, and attacked.
Magda held her breath as she pushed the swinging door open. It would be far more convenient to use the bathroom inside the bookstore, but there were some secrets worth dying to protect.
She gave a quick glance around the bathroom tucked into a far corner of the mall, furthest from the food court, back in a cul de sac where three of the five stores either had “going out of business signs” or were already empty. What were the chances anyone would come back here?
Ick.
From the dull film on the floor and walls, the chances of a cleaning crew coming back here were pretty slim, too. She glanced around, surveying the surroundings. Three stall doors hanging open. Empty trashcan. Dripping faucets at three sinks full of rust stains, with a coating of dust on the counter. No security cameras anywhere. She tugged the trashcan over, putting it in front of the door. Just in case someone followed her. It wouldn’t delay pursuit for more than a few seconds, but it would give her some warning.
Just to buy herself a few more seconds before discovery, she decided to use the handicapped stall, which sat furthest from the door. Why did they always put the handicapped stall furthest from the door? To make up for the plum parking spots right in front of the door?
Sighing, she tugged paper towels from the dispenser until she had enough to cover the floor before she put her bag down in the stall.
Research for one of her books had revealed just how many millions of germs she could carry home with her, by putting her bag down on the floor.
It made her wish she didn’t have to put her shoes down on the floor in this place. Three quick tugs, and she had stripped out of her signature red-and-black diamond knee-length tunic and matching silky slacks. Three more tugs and she had popped out her bra padding and yanked off her temporary mane of silky black curls. Relief. The body suit was harder to peel out of than it had been three months ago. Time to give up the relaxing lunch breaks with a paperback and go back to the gym. She thought becoming Gal Friday to an independent investigator would give her more activity and less stress, compared to working for an insurance investigator, but she had been wrong.
She needed to be on her feet as much as possible to combat what she and her critique partners referred to as Writer’s Butt.
Good morning, everybody!
ReplyDeleteI'm running out of time -- just like Maggie -- and have to dash up stairs and get ready for church, but I just had to stop in and say hi and thanks for coming to the party!
I'll be back this afternoon. We have some friends visiting from Venezuela and on their way to Madrid, so I definitely have to be there to visit with them.
YOU ARE THE FIRST!!!
Like 2 minutes ago, I read my email that said "THE MERUK EPISODES I-V" is a FINALIST in the Anthology competition of this year's EPIC Awards. Yee-haw!
Guess I'm going to New Orleans in March.
Anybody else going? :-)
I'll see you all back here this afternoon.
Please post questions, and I'll try to answer them then!
Just Peachy has hit my to buy list the blurb really grabs your attention it sounds like one of the books that when you start it you'll hate to put it down for anything. Is it going to be in bookstores or will you have to order it on-line?
ReplyDeleteSuper congrats on another Eppie Final, Michelle!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's super news!
I'd love to be there in New Orleans to celebrate with you, but not likely to happen - you know my life! But my fingers will be crossed for you!
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteHappy release day. I look forward to reading Just Peachy.
Great title and post. I love how you incorporated some helpful tips in your excerpt. I'm one of those known to balance my purse on my lap during a bathroom break unless there is a hook where I can hang it. I refuse to put it on the floor because I know what lingers there.
ReplyDeleteGod willing and the creek don't rise, I'm going to New Orleans in March...money is tight, but, hey, I can dream. Hopefully, I'll have have one of my WIPS finished and a contract in my pocket.
Happy Release Day!
ReplyDeleteOoh, another book I need to add to my TBB list.
great sounding story and one I'd enjoy getting into; congrats on the release.
ReplyDeletea cute cover, did you have any say in it?
The book sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteWay to go Michelle. Sounds like you have accomplished quite a bit in your career. Congrats on the New Release. Just peachy sounds pretty interesting, I like them psychotic fan types they make for interesting read. Great name by the way Just Peachy, I like it. Good luck and I'll be putting this one on my wish list.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the questions posted in the earlier comments --
ReplyDeleteNo, you don't HAVE TO read the books in order, but they make more sense that way, and you get to know the other characters. Everything ties together, and when someone refers to something that happened in a previous book, you don't feel so lost. :-)
The story that ties everything together is:
During WWII, an official in Musolini's government snuck his 5 daughters out of Italy and into the U.S. under false identities. Only he knew their new identities and where they were sent in the United States. He was killed. Now, the descendants of those 5 daughters are trying to find each other.
As each book progresses, you meet more "cousins" or hear about them, and participate in their adventures.
As for book trailers helping with sales ... I have no facts and figures to know. :-) I think they're cool, I think they give a good taste of the book, and hook the attention of people who might be more visually oriented. I have had 2 book trailers made, and plan on more in the future, to post on FaceBook and my Web site and other places.
I say, until you have data that says something hurts sales, why not use it?
Thanks for the congrats. I'm thrilled that Meruk made it to the finals in the EPIC Awards. In fact, I'm working on the next 5 "episodes" for Meruk, my poor fugitive Hovenie (shape-shifter) for my NaNoWriMo project.
ReplyDeleteYes, in answer to another question, I did have input into the cover. That's what's so great about e-pubbing, and especially publishers like Amber Quill who want your input. I talked about my idea for a cover with Trace before I turned the book in, and he stayed pretty close to what I envisioned.
Just between us ... Here's the genesis for the title: My main character, Maggie, writes under the pen name Magda Torrene, and has a slinky PI character named Anastasia Peach. So, that's where the title "Just Peachy" comes from. Can you think of another action heroine with a "fruity" name, close to Peach? It's kind of a tribute to that writer, whose initials are J.E. :-)
And yes, you need to order the book online. Unless you happen to be at one of my booksignings, or you can get to one of the bookstores that lets me leave copies on consignment. Today's the paper edition release date -- I haven't checked, but it should be available on Amazon now, or soon. Hmmm, can we say Christmas presents?
:-)
Michelle, the book sounds, well, just peachy. Love your titles and can't wait to learn more about you and your writing.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, Your book sounds great! I wasn't aware of your books but I'm sure going to be looking for them now - they have two things I love - a main character who writes and a mystery.
ReplyDeleteHappy Release Day!! I'm a fan & it doesn't get much better than that. Cheers!!
ReplyDeletemarypres@gmail.com
Happy Release Day! Your "peachiness" reminded me of my childhood next door neighbor and "borrowing" ripe peaches all summer long!
ReplyDeleteim sorry i didnt make it in time just wanted to say congrats on the release sounds awesome as all teh rest deff goiung on my wish list ty again!
ReplyDelete