Monday 21 September 2020

THIS OLD BLOG HAS HAD ITS DAY…

Hey beloved readers, I've officially moved websites and would love for you to join me. It's easy to do, and costs absolutely nothing! Just check out the links, below:


• For news, views and updates on my books and writing, just log into my blog site: 


• To have my blog delivered straight to your inbox—and be in the running to win FREE book prizes at the same time—just sign up for my monthly newsletter:

calarmer.com


 

Thanks for all your wonderful support over the years, and I look forward to connecting with you again at calarmer.com.

Happy reading, everyone!
xo Christina














 



Wednesday 29 July 2020

Get Named in My New Mystery (Yep, I'm Doing THAT Again!)

My faithful readers will know that I'm always looking out for great character names. After penning three crime series littered with amateur sleuths, their family and friends, beaus and foes, it's very tricky concocting new and original monikers. Like most authors, I tend to steer towards the same old same old… without even realising I'm doing it!

That's where you come in…

Last year, I asked you to donate your favourite names for use in my latest Ghostwriter Mystery, and boy was your response overwhelming (you can read the related blog here).

Well, I'm doing it again! This time I need names for a brand-new mystery I have just started writing. While I can't give too much away yet about the plot, I'm hoping this story turns into a whole new series. It will feature not one but FIVE main characters—a mix of genders, ages and ethnicities—and I need to find them all suitable names.

If you'd like to donate your own name, a name you heard of, or the name of someone you love or loathe (because not every character can be loveable!)—then get in touch. I need first and last names, nicknames, strange names, and even rather ordinary names—whatever you've got. If I end up choosing your suggestion, you get a FREE paperback copy of the book when it's published, not to mention seeing your chosen name over and over in print. Gotta love that! (If you sent names last time, don't worry, I've still got the list and will be dipping into that, too.) 

Check the Ts& Cs**, below, and send your suggestion/s to:

christina@calarmer.com


PRIZE: Subscriber of the Week

Drum roll, please, for this week's winning subscriber who gets a chance to win a FREE copy of one of my mystery novels. This time I'm offering the winner the eBook of their choice from my selection of 15 crime stories—see full list at Amazon here.

And the winner is…

'Crossroads'

Apologies, 'Crossroads', I don't have your full name but I do have your email address (which contains that word) and I'm looking forward to sending you your prize. I'll be in touch shortly. Thanks again to everyone else for your loyalty and support and keep reading my fortnightly newsletters in case your name comes up. Not a subscriber? Just sign up to my newsletter at my official author website: calarmer.com.

"5.0 OUT OF 5 STARS — THE BEST!"

by Ric S. @ US Amazon

"Love book number 4! The best of the series so far. Great characters, twists and turns, an excellent cozy mystery. I’m hoping it won’t be long before book number 5 appears!

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2020
Verified Purchase

ONLINE BOOK DESCRIPTION

REMOTE LYLE'S LODGE: Deep in isolated rainforest, the Agatha Christie Book Club gathers to meet four new members, each one hiding a secret from the group…

ONE IS AN IMPOSTER. ONE HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE. ONE IS HUNTING FOR BLOOD. AND ONE WANTS REVENGE.

With membership now at nine, the club settles in to discuss Christie’s best-selling mystery—the one about the madman bumping off his isolated guests.

VERY SOON, LIFE BEGINS TO IMITATE THE BOOK.

First one person is murdered, then another, and then a mighty bushfire ignites in the forest below, cutting them off with their own "madman" on the loose. Employing the wisdom of Poirot and a trusty bushfire survival plan, they must unravel each new member's secret to unmask the real killer and survive the book club from hell.

But this time not all of them will get out alive.

ONCE THERE WERE NINE… SOON THERE WILL BE SIX… BUT WHICH BOOK CLUB MEMBERS WILL SURVIVE?

NB: This ebook has not been endorsed, licensed or authorised by the estate of Agatha Christie or by Agatha Christie Limited.

**Naming Competition: Terms & Conditions

This Naming Competition is open to all my subscribers and all types of names are welcome. By emailing me name/s you infer direct permission to use that name/s or an adaptation of that name/s. The winning name/s will be chosen at a future date and winner/s informed via future newsletter and/or email. Due to the overwhelming nature of these pleas, no correspondence will be entered into but I appreciate your suggestions and thank you in advance. 

Monday 29 June 2020

Psychological Suspense SALE + Cozy Mystery Out NOW (yay)

Apologies, folks. Last newsletter I forgot to mention that I've discounted my psychological suspense, After the Ferry: A Gripping Psychological Novel
The paperback is on sale for $14.95 and the eBook is down to just 99c.
Grab your discount copy at a link, below, or continue reading for some reviews. It's a slow-burner, this book, but the best thing I've ever written and I do hope you enjoy the read.
@AMAZON       kobo  

REVIEWS @ AMAZON

"Larmer's plot is a clever one...The characters the reader gets to know during the course of this psychological thriller are finely honed and credible, and Amelia's contrasting lives and personalities are brilliantly rendered and made plausible." -- Jack Magnus, Readers Favorite
"Well written, intriguing, captivating mystery/thriller about what-if that was creative, original, and interesting. All tied together quite cleverly in the end." -- Riley, Booksprout
"A great read. Had me drawn in from the beginning. I found it suspenseful and very well written. I highly recommend reading this book." -- Heather177, Booksprout
"An intriguing mystery that explores life, or death, as the case may be. It is a unique story and I do recommend it." -- HeatherW, Booksprout  

And Then There Were 9: Agatha Christie Book Club

It's alive! My fourth Agatha Christie Book Club—And Then There Were 9—is now available as an eBook and paperback at all good online bookstores. 
Grab your copy, make yourself a coffee, and settle in for the next nail-biting chapter. 
Inspired by the recent bushfires Australia just endured, this time the group are stuck at an isolated lodge with a fire roaring up the ridge and a killer on the loose… 

REVIEWS @ AMAZON

"The plot is skillfully written with lots of red herrings making it a delightful read. It's a wonderful mystery book and one that is impossible to put down once you have started reading it no matter how many times you promise yourself you'll take a break at the end of the chapter. Superb." -- SharonR, Booksprout
"I always consider it a good sign when you read the fourth in a series and immediately upon finishing set out to buy the first one. … Like books by Christie the path through to the solution is as interesting as the solution itself. It is nice to read a book set in Australia." -- Sandra Ballasch, Booksprout
"And Then There Were 9 was engaging from the start. A fresh premise and well plotted mystery made reading this book in one sitting easy. There was plenty of misdirection to keep me questioning who the murderer was and I really wasn't sure until almost the end." -- Anne Glass Kasaba, Booksprout

Wednesday 24 June 2020

Are YOU This Week's Winner? + How the Book Club Came To Be

AS YOU KNOW to celebrate the launch of my latest cozy mystery, I've been selecting a subscriber each week to win an earlier book in the series (or any of my eBooks if you've read them all). And this week I'll get straight to it. Drum roll please…
THE WINNER IS:
Elaine Hall
Woohoo! Congratulations Elaine. I'll be in touch with you shortly to claim your prize.
Everyone else, you can download the Agatha Christie Book Club series here, or pre-order the new instalment at the links below. Until then, here's a preview…

AND THEN THERE WERE 9

REMOTE LYLE'S LODGE: Deep in isolated rainforest, the Agatha Christie Book Club gathers to meet four new members, each one hiding a secret from the group…

ONE IS AN IMPOSTER.
ONE HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE.
ONE IS HUNTING FOR SOMETHING.
AND ONE WANTS REVENGE.


With membership now at nine, the club settles in to discuss Christie’s best-selling mystery—the one about the madman bumping off his isolated guests.

VERY SOON, LIFE BEGINS TO IMITATE THE BOOK.

First one person is murdered, then another, and then a mighty bushfire ignites in the forest below, cutting them off with their own "madman" on the loose. Employing the wisdom of Poirot and a trusty bushfire survival plan, they must unravel each new member's secret to unmask the real killer and survive the book club from hell.

But this time not all of them will get out alive.
@AMAZON       kobo  
Apple iBooks   B+N nook     


How & Why I Started this Series
(an excerpt from Book 3)
"IT WILL COME AS no surprise to hear that I have been an Agatha Christie fan since I can remember (no, really), and yet I feel the need to mention it as I am often asked how I came up with the idea of the Agatha Christie Book Club series. Did a marketing dynamo whisper it in my ear? Am I just riding on Dame Agatha’s tails? Who do I think I am?
So let me answer the question once and for all.
Yes, I adore Agatha Christie, but it goes deeper and farther than that—all the way, in fact, to a secluded island in remotest Papua New Guinea. 
I was holidaying with my family. I was not yet ten. There was no television, no radio, nothing to tempt a bored tweenie at night but a termite-infested bookshelf bursting with pulp fiction and Agatha Christie novels.
I scooped one out. I dusted it off. I opened the pages… You know the rest.
It was that first book—Evil Under the Sun, as it turns out—that planted the seed that eventually grew into a love of mysteries and a flourishing writing career.
This series is my homage to the greatest mystery writer of them all.
Each and every book is in honour of Ms Christie, and yet I’m not trying to write an Agatha Christie novel—I wouldn’t dare. Nor am I trying to recreate her extraordinary characters in my own. Instead, I’m simply extending the joy to a new group of fans, my book club friends, and exploring what happens when you take a bunch of amateur sleuths, plonk a complex puzzle in their laps, and let the words of Miss Marple and Monsieur Poirot guide them home.
I hope you enjoy these modern adventures as much as I have enjoyed writing them, and I hope they renew your love for all things Agatha Christie. "

Happy reading, everyone.
xo Christina

Tuesday 16 June 2020

Pre-order My New Cozy + Another eBook winner, below


At last! Here's a sneak-peek at my new Agatha Christie Book Club mystery, which is now available as a PRE-ORDER at Amazon. (Hurrah.)
To lock in your copy, just click HERE. And don't hesitate to get in touch and let me know your thoughts on the new cover (above).
And Then There Were 9
(The Agatha Christie Book Club 4)
By C.A. LARMER
REMOTE LYLE'S LODGE: Deep in isolated rainforest, the Agatha Christie Book Club gather to meet four new members, each one hiding a secret from the group…

ONE IS AN IMPOSTER. 
ONE HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE.
ONE IS HUNTING FOR SOMETHING.
AND ONE WANTS REVENGE.


Now with nine members and blissfully unaware, ACBC Mark 2 settle in to discuss Christie’s best-selling mystery—the one about the madman bumping off his isolated guests. 

Very soon, life begins to imitate art…
First one person is murdered, then another, and then they find themselves cut off by a giant bushfire that's roaring up the mountain towards them.
With their own "madman" on the loose and the flames getting closer, they must employ the wisdom of Poirot, to unravel each new member's secret and unmask the killer.
But this time not all of them will get out alive.
Once there were nine… Soon there will be six. But which six will survive the Book Club from hell?


AS YOU KNOW… I've been celebrating the upcoming release of my latest Agatha Christie Book Club adventure and am handing out an eBook prize every single week until it hits the stands.
TO WIN: Just keep reading these newsletters! I'll pick a subscriber randomly from the list and announce the name each week until it's published. If that's you, I'll contact you directly to find out which book you'd like.
*Don't panic if you've already read ALL THREE in the series. You're my favourite kind of subscriber and will get a chance to choose from any of my other cozy mysteries (see here).

THIS WEEK'S WINNER IS...
Jane Starcher
Congratulations Jane! I will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your eBook prize.
Everyone else, please don't despair, there's at least one more free eBook to be given out. Check the next newsletter to see if your name comes up. And catch up on the Book Club's back story via the links, below.
xo Christina 

Sunday 7 June 2020

Walking For Friendship or For Readers? Can You Do Both? + Weekly eBook Winner (see below)

Photo: Bruno Cervera // Unsplash

During a recent Zoom class (yes, I've joined the dark side), one of my students asked what inspires and motivates me. She's trying to finish her first book and knew I'd just finished my 16th.

"How do you do it?" she wanted to know. "Where do you find daily inspiration?"
"Walking!" I told her, without hesitation.
I have always been an avid walker but, since getting our frisky Blue Heeler, Kasper, three years ago, it's become a mandatory daily event. Some time between one and three every single afternoon, Kaspie appears at my desk, leash (shoe, sock…) in his mouth, eyes piercing, ears high. And he won't take no for an answer.
"Come on, woman," that look says. "It's time for walkies."
And off we set, for a fast-paced, 40-minute adventure, but it's always my mind that gets the best work-out.
Walking is the perfect way for me to gather fresh ideas, dialogue, plot points and character development. Without fail, I come back from these walks re-energised and inspired. It works every single time.
Until lately, that is.
You see, thanks to COVID-19, the world has changed and people have been stuck in their small neighbourhoods, and suddenly I have found a lovely, well-meaning neighbour who wants to walk with me. And at first I was delighted. It's such a fun way to catch up— chatting, gossiping, venting about the hubby and kids.
But it's been atrocious for my writing.
In the past, I returned from a walk so inspired, I barely had time to remove Kasper's leash before flying to the keyboard to tap away like a lunatic, getting all these exciting ideas down.
Since my friend started joining me, we inevitably stop for a (socially distanced) cup of tea, and so the chatter continues, and before I know it, another hour has passed and no writing has been done, let alone fresh ideas gleaned. By the time she leaves and I sit at my desk... nothing.
It's been great for my friendship—really, I adore this neighbour and enjoy our talks!—but lousy for my readers.
So, what to do? Do I put her off next time she calls? Do I take two walks a day—one for myself, one for my books? I'm yet to work that out, folks, but it's not such a bad quandry to have. I could be all alone with no friends, no readers, no ideas. I have to find a happy medium, I'm just not sure what it is, yet.
Perhaps I'll work out the solution on my next walk…
"Kasper! Walkies?"
Until then, happy reading (and walking) everyone!
xo Christina


IT'S OFFICIAL! I have just finished the 4th adventure for my Agatha Christie Book Club! And to celebrate, I'm giving YOU a chance to win a prize. 
Every. Single. Week. 
ABOUT THE BOOK
Titled And Then There Were Nine: The Agatha Christie Book Club 4, in this installment the Book Club have expanded, inviting four fabulous new members to join the fold. 
To get to know each other better and discuss the latest book (Christie's And Then There Were None), they head off to an isolated rainforest lodge.
That is their first mistake!
Before you know it, two people are murdered, there's a fire roaring up the mountain and a killer still on the loose.
Is there a stranger lurking in the forest or is the killer one of them?
THIS WEEK'S WINNER…
If you liked the sound of that, you'll be happy to hear the manuscript is now with my editor (hey Annie!) and will be launched very soon. Until then, I'm giving one devoted subscriber a FREE ecopy of one of the previous Agatha Christie Book Club adventures—whichever one they choose.*
TO WIN: Just keep reading these newsletters! I'll pick a subscriber randomly from the list and announce the name each week. If that's you, I will then contact you directly to find out which book you'd like.
*Don't panic if you've already read ALL THREE in the series. You're my favourite kind of subscriber and will get a chance to choose from any of my other cozy mysteries (see here).
THIS WEEK'S WINNER IS...
R.Dawn.Brown
Congratulations R.Dawn.Brown! I will be in touch with you soon.
Everyone else, keep watching for more weekly giveaways. Or catch up on the story via the links, below.
xo Christina 

Wednesday 15 April 2020

In Honour of Cruising + 99c Cruise Ship Mystery (Virus-free!)


The first ship I ever fell in love with was the Oriana, back in the early 1970s. I was just a little girl, it was my first sea voyage, and my family was travelling between Papua New Guinea and Australia. So it was a relatively short trip but, boy, it left its mark.

I've been in love with cruising ever since. 

And it's not just about the ship, although I do love a glittering atrium, a sparkling Lido deck, and a small but oh so cosy cabin. The truth is, I'm just as happy in a leaky dinghy as I am on a luxury vessel like the Queen Elizabeth, pictured below. I jumped aboard last year, pre-Corona, for my Dad's 80th birthday, and what better place to celebrate? 

I just love being on the water! I love the rich, salty smell and rhythm of the sea, the slapping of the waves against the bow and, most of all, the anticipation and mystery of all that lovely open ocean ahead.

It's no wonder, then, that I set one of my murder mysteries on a cruise ship, this one an imagined replica of a real ship that once sailed the Antipodes—the SS Orient, which I wrote about in a previous blog.

As you all know, cruise ships have taken a battering during this time of the Corona virus, and it breaks my heart, if only for the beautiful, hard-working crew, and for those of you who never got a chance to don your best nautical gear and set sail.

But take heart, I'm sure cruising will be back. I don't think it's such a bad thing if there's a few less of them, though. Massive ships are not exactly great for the environment and we have to consider the next generation. But I do want my kids to experience cruising as I did, just more sustainably, and minus deadly diseases while they're at it!

Until then, here's an exciting voyage you can take from the comfort of your own self-isolation, and it's virus free! Of course that's not to say there's not other dangers lurking somewhere on the ship… 




In this refreshingly modern take on the classic whodunit, the AGATHA CHRISTIE BOOK CLUB set sail on replica steamship the SS Orient and quickly encounter eerie echoes of another murderous voyage—a menacing note, a passenger dead in bed, and more clues than you can poke a blood-soaked dagger at.

With no CCTV, a shipful of slippery passengers, and enough red herrings to fill a seafood platter, the amateur sleuths decide to abandon their shuffleboard and solve the crime before they hit land and the professionals boot them off.


Jump aboard for the second gripping adventure of the beloved book club friends, who include devoted sisters, a dashing doctor, a flighty librarian and two vintage fashion queens. This time there's a new member lurking in the wings, a brusque barman with a bad attitude and a secret that will change absolutely everything.

With a dash of romance, a splash of adventure and plenty of good humour, this is a fun, fast-paced cozy adventure for those who like unexpected plot twists, endearing ensemble characters and a gripping final denouement.

GRAB YOUR 99c COPY AT ONE OF THE E-STORES BELOW

And happy (cruisy) reading everyone!
xo Christina





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@AMAZON online
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