Award winning cover

Thrilled to announce that my wonderful cover artist, Karri Klawiter has won a prestigious award for the cover she created for NO HIDING PLACE. So excited. She's fabulous to work with too. :-)

Congratulations, Karri.

New release in the Justice series.

Hi everyone, hope you're all well? It's time to announce yet a new release in the Justice series. This short story involves all the old, well-loved characters that you're always contacting me about. I hope you enjoy your trip down memory lane in Unfair Justice. As usual, I'm releasing at 99c/99p.  I'd also like to mention that my fellow Bloodhound Books author and dear friend, Netta Newbound, has a new novella out too, it's called Ghost Writer, I've read it and it's a fabulous story. I'll post the links below. Enjoy the warmer weather as it approaches, I'll be back next month with news regarding Double Jeopardy - the latest Hero novel. Thank you as always for your lovely emails, Facebook messages and your support, they always mean a lot to me. Mel xx Pick up your copy of Unfair Justice from the following sites for only 99c/99p. Amazon KOBO Barnes and Noble iBooks Google Play You can buy a copy of Netta's novella on Amazon for only 99c/99p.  Amazon UK Amazon USA A reminder in case you missed the last newsletter, that Cold Case is now available and is on offer for only 99c/99p for a limited time from all sites.   Amazon    iBooks KOBO    Google Barnes and Noble

Release day for Cold Case. Only 99c/99p.

Yippee! It's release day at last for the third book in the DI Sally Parker thriller series.

DI Sally Parker has been handed a ten-year-old cold case. However, the victim, Aisha Thomas, isn't just a member of the public--she's a serving police officer's wife.

During the original investigation, the suspects disappeared before they could be questioned. Now fresh evidence has been uncovered, proving the two suspects to be innocent. Sally has to start over at the beginning. She uncovers a few surprises that were either overlooked. . . or purposefully ignored by the original investigator.

When the case threatens Sally's fledgling romantic relationship with pathologist Simon Bracknall, she begins to suspect someone is determined to hinder her chance at happiness--as well as solving Aisha's murder.

Is Sally getting close to revealing the killer or has she stumbled across something even more sinister?

Review

I feel this is MA Comley's best book to date. Just to give you an idea: I lost my reading mojo for well over a month and when I picked this book up, my mojo returned! I read it in one sitting.
I loved seeing Sally's character develop throughout the course of the book. The plot was brilliantly thought out and kept me guessing. - Aisha

  All in all another really great book to add to this author's already stonking back catalogue. Bring on the next one, I even don't mind which series it may be. They're all brilliant! - Kath Brink 

Cold Case is a page turner of a read that had a totally unexpected outcome. I love how the author always manages to keep something up her sleeve to shock and surprise her readers. Only problem is that the author always leaves me desperate for more as I just can't get enough of her books. - Sarah Hardy

From start to finish I was HOOKED the only down side was it finished.... Michelle Baldwin

To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I personally feel it is the best the author has written to date.  - Julie Simon

 Another brilliant book in the Sally Parker series which leaves you guessing right to the very end. I love the way the author brings the characters to life with an insight into their personal lives including Sally's beloved dog. - Annette

Book reading does not get any better than this!!! This is such an in depth read as this author weaves her magic once again. I was truly hooked with the intensity & speed that DI Sally Parker, her partner Jack Blackman & the rest of her hardworking team worked at solving a cold case. - Felicity

A fast paced and gripping storyline that kept me guessing right until the shocking end. - Sue McQuaide Kitt

I devoured this book! M.A. Comley knows her craft and I throughly enjoyed the cold case element to this story.  - Bestselling author Tara Lyons

I absolutely loved this book - a fabulous book. - Leona

I even read this book a second time to see where I missed the vital clue, the link to the mystery. However, there are many suspects, turns and twist.....just when you think you have solved the Cold Case....Great job Mel Comley! - Diane Waters   

Mel Comley's books are always so easy to read and once you pick one up its hard to put it down till you've read it. I started and finished this book within a matter of hours and love how the characters are all evolving in this series. - Teresa

Seems as though the action never stops, and as a mystery reader, that is a very, very good thing. Cold Case just keeps you guessing from page to page, until the ultimate revelations are uncovered at the end. - Mary

Another belter of a book from this talented author. Fantastic characters and storyline. - Craig Gillan 

This is one of my favourite books by Mel Comley so far. Sally is a fantastic character, as are the others. - Audrey

You can buy your copy today for only 99c/99p at the following sites. I hope you enjoy Cold Case as much as I loved writing it.

Amz http://hyperurl.co/xlomjq

iTunes http://hyperurl.co/fyeb5n

KOBO http://hyperurl.co/0r11co

Google http://hyperurl.co/xwft8b

B&N http://hyperurl.co/rcjnrc

New release and a Q&A with the wonderul author Carmen Amato.

I've been a long time admirer of Carmen Amato's intelligently written novels. I'm delighted to have a Q&A with the successful novelist today as she celebrates the release of yet another Detective Emilia Cruz novel, Pacific Reaper. Pick up your copy today for the introductory price of only 99p/99c.

Take it away Carmen...

What genre do you write and what genre do you prefer to read?

Melanie, thank you so much for hosting me. I love talking to fellow mystery authors; I always learn something new.

I write romantic thrillers and the Detective Emilia Cruz police procedural series. When I’m not writing, I love reading mysteries. I think it started way back when, with Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series, but lately I’m drawn to series in more exotic places including Michael Stanley’s Inspector Kubu series in Botswana and Colin Cotterill’s Dr. Siri Paiboun series set in Laos. But I’ll drop everything for a new Jo Nesbo; in addition to great writing, Oslo is one of my favorite cities.

During your childhood who was your biggest influence?

I’m lucky enough to have grown up in New York living next to my maternal grandparents. My grandmother was the family matriarch and I loved spending time at her house. I have great memories of watching The A Team and Riptide with her. No doubt, this is what launched my love of the mystery and action//adventure genres.

Are you fortunate enough to write full-time?

Yes, I’m a full time writer. I thought that when that happened, I’d glide through life in a sparkling home, wearing dresses and pearls, having oodles of time to get my nails done and taking a yoga class every day.

Instead, the house is as cluttered as it ever was, the dog complains that he doesn’t get enough attention (an endless task), and I’m wearing jeans while yelling at my computer screen. I’ve become addicted to sticky notes, plotting how to kill hapless characters, and Starbucks’ Italiano blend.

I usually take an afternoon break at 3:00 pm when my local television station airs an episode of the BBC classic  As Time Goes By. The series is on an endless loop; as soon as Judy and Alistair get married we go back to episode 1. I can quote swaths of dialogue.

If Hollywood came knocking who would you want to play your main character?

Hollywood did come knocking, much to my mingled trepidation and excitement. Last year a major US network bought the option to produce a television series based on the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series.

Emilia is the first female police detective in Acapulco, taking on Mexico’s drug cartels and culture of machismo, which also trying to have a personal life that includes Kurt Rucker, an American hotel manager.

I don’t know who might play the main character, but a strong Latina like Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Rodriguez, or America Ferrera could carry it off. Kurt is a tall, blonde, former US Marine, and triathlete. Any actors to suggest?

What one piece of advice have you found the most important in your writing career?

Ahhh, the infamous piece of advice every newbie author dreams will pave the writing road to success. Here’s how mine went:

FAMOUS AMERICAN AUTHOR: “But the novel is set in Mexico. All the characters are Mexican.”

ME: “That’s right. Lives of the people fighting the drug cartels. And Mexico’s class structure.”

FAMOUS AMERICAN AUTHOR: “New York will never touch it And a New York agent is the only kind worth having. New York agents are looking for the next Sex and the City. Glossy. High heels. New York.”

ME: “This is a romantic political thriller. Makes the real Mexico accessible to the American audience the way Martin Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko series did for Russia.”

FAMOUS AMERICAN AUTHOR: *sniff* “New York won’t buy a book with all Mexican characters. And your main character is a maid. At least couldn’t you make her American? You know, a college girl from Pittsburgh named Susan or Tess who goes to Mexico on a cultural exchange program to work as a maid for a semester.”

This was about 5 years ago and the conversation was about potential agents for my first novel, the romantic thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY.

I could have tossed off a barbed remark about how it would cost an American in Pittsburgh more to get to Mexico than they would earn as a maid in three months, but I was too busy being appalled.

This was a book about Mexico’s drug war, the people fighting it, and their chances of survival. It was also a Cinderella story taking on Mexico’s unspoken caste system. Sue and Tess were not part of that narrative.

I decided to ignore the FAMOUS AMERICAN AUTHOR. I published without an agent, and in the long run have found it much more important to know a good intellectual property rights attorney!

What are your plans for the coming year?

For starters, I’m leaving the house clutter where it is. My family doesn’t care and the dog hasn’t done anything constructive since we got him.

With PACIFIC REAPER, the fifth book in the Detective Emilia Cruz series just out, I’m already outlining 43 MISSING, which will be next in the series. Three Emilia Cruz short stories are also in the works, all of which take place before the events in CLIFF DIVER, the first novel.

The audiobooks of the first 4 novels in the series will be released by Tantor Media in 2017. Johanna Parker, who was the voice talent for the Sookie Stackhouse series, will narrate.

I’m also editing the forthcoming nonfiction INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE BEST OF MEXICO and working on a fun memoir of my college days in Paris entitled GIRL MEETS PARIS.

Plus, I have the Mystery Ahead newsletter to keep me busy every month. Readership has been growing like crazy and I’m really committed to putting out a quality product. Every edition has something for both mystery readers and writers: writing protips, books reviews, author interviews, etc.

Thanks so much for hosting me. Readers are invited to join me at any of the links below:

Carmenamato.net

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New release in the Hero series only 99c/99p.

I'm delighted to announce that my publishers, Bloodhound Books have today released IN PLAIN SIGHT, the third book in the DI Hero Nelson series. It's on offer for a limited time for only 99c/99p on Amazon.

Amazon all sites: http://hyperurl.co/ilqjgs

Here's what to expect from this fast-paced thriller:

No one is safe... not even the police.

DI Hero Nelson is used to violent crime but this one is personal. When he's called to a crime scene he discovers the victims are two police officers one of whom is a good friend.

Determined to track down the killer, he’s dealt another blow as the body count continues to rise. To catch the killer before he strikes again, Hero calls upon the public for help. But when the criminal ups the ante by taking hostages, he soon regrets his actions.

Can Hero and the police catch the murderer before more innocent victims are hurt?  

Hero must apprehend a killer who is hiding in plain sight before the time runs out.

Audiobooks now available.

I'm delighted to tell you that five of my books are now available as audiobooks, the others will be narrated over the coming year, it's a lengthy process and one that I'm looking forward to being involved in. It's a wonderful experience to hear the character that you have created come to life, it can be a tad emotional too. Ahem... me cry, no, never. ;-)

The Justice series is being narrated by the amazing award winning narrator Anna Parker-Naples Anna's blog    You can purchase a copy of CRUEL JUSTICE from Amazon UK Here and Amazon US Here

SOLE INTENTION is narrated and produced by Inkwell Audio who have a selection of available narrators available. You can pick up a copy of Sole Intention from Amazon UK Here and Amazon US Here

FOREVER WATCHING YOU has also been produced and narrated by Inkwell Audio and can be purchased from Amazon US Here and Amazon UK Here

TORN APART - the first book in the Hero series has also been produced and narrated by the amazing Inkwell Audio is now available on Amazon UK Here and Amazon US Here

The DI Sally Parker series book one - WRONG PLACE has been produced and narrated by Tantor Media and can be purchased through Amazon US Here and Amazon UK Here

The DI Sally Parker series book two - NO HIDING PLACE has also been produced and narrated by Tantor Media and can be purchased from Amazon US Here and Amazon UK Here

Another anniversary reached.

Wow, it’s my 7^th anniversary as an Indie author and what a way to celebrate; the release of Tragic Deception written my dear friend Linda Prather and also Amazon have chosen a collection of both of our books in a special promotion running throughout October. #PoweredByIndie

Since contemplating writing I have now penned 13 books in the Justice series, Prime Justice is being written at the moment. Plus, I’ve also written 24 novels and several novellas – a total of over 40 titles and sold in excess of a million and a quarter books. It’s been an exciting journey and I’ve made some fabulous friends along the way. But I could never have achieved these results without my loyal fans and their love of Lorne and the gang. So pat yourselves on the back if you’ve ever bought one of my books. http://amzn.to/2dD2l4n