Are YOU Named in My Next Mystery? + 99c Suspense Novel!

In my last blog I asked you to send in the names you'd like to see used (and abused) in my next Ghostwriter mystery. And wow, what a wild and wonderfully named bunch you are! There were some beauties amongst the mix. Most of you offered up your own names or names of people you know for my seventh in the series, and very few of you specified exactly what type of character you'd like to be—a 'good' one or a so-called 'baddie'. Which is just as well because I won't be revealing which name is which. Wouldn't want to give away the plot, right? The two names I have chosen were names I would never have thought of, but really resonated with me and fit two of my characters perfectly (you'll understand when you finally get to read the book ;-) in early 2020). So, without further ado, a big CONGRATULATIONS to (drum roll please)… • Presley (adapted from the name Preslea, a reader's granddaughter) • Paisley (a pretty suggestion from reader Nancy) The generous providers of the names will be credited in the book and sent a free paperback copy when it's published. Big THANKS to them and to everyone who contributed. I feel like I will never be short of sweet and surprising monikers again! Meanwhile, my gripping new romance/suspense is on sale—99c! ABOUT AFTER THE FERRY It's the 1990s, pre-mobile phones, and a young traveller must make a terrifying—exhilarating—choice: Will she jump ship with a seductive stranger? Or stay cocooned on the Greek ferry with friends and miss what could be the love of her life? ONE CHOICE LEADS TO TRUE LOVE. ONE CHOICE LEADS TO MURDER. BUT WHICH IS WHICH? In this fast-paced, psychological thriller, we follow Millie Malone across two very different lifetimes. In one life she remains onboard with her 'mates'—two Sydney lads with shaky motives, and an old school pal with a crush of her own—and in the other she jumps. One decision sees Millie shacked up in the country, the other sees her married to her career, but both 'Millies' are harbouring a shocking secret that could blow their worlds apart. THIRTEEN YEARS LATER… and 'Millie' has vanished overnight from her respective lives. Has she returned to Greece to face her past? Or has the past caught up with her, violently? ONLY ONE OF THEM WILL LIVE TO TELL THE TALE. From the best-selling author comes a cracking, stand-alone story with twists and turns that will make you question every decision you ever made, and everyone you ever trusted. This is a story of choices, and how one bad decision could end up being the best decision of your life. Genre: Mystery // Travel // Thriller // Romance // Suspense  NB: This book follows British English spelling and usage, and contains some adult language. No graphic violence or sex.  AVAILABLE NOW AT:  AMAZON  APPLE  B&N NOOK   KOBO

WIN eBook 'Gift Baskets' + Get YOUR Name in My Latest Mystery!

2 x "Gift Baskets" of ALL ebooks

12 x individual prizes of one ebook or paperback

For those who like a little romance with their mystery suspense, I've signed up this week with a great group of authors to give away books in the Romantic/Suspense genre.

To win, all you have to do is sign up at AuthorsXP between November 19-25 and you will automatically be in the running. Just click here and you could be a winner! The giveaway includes my latest mystery: After The Ferry (see more on that below).

I'm looking for killer names!

I'm always on the look out for new and interesting names for my fictional characters and it's not always easy. Writers tend to choose names they're already familiar with, whether they realise it or not. 

I try to shake this up from time to time by glancing through magazines, newspapers and phone books, noting down names I see on telly, and asking my readers to get involved. 

This is where you come in...

Would you like to see your name in print? Would you be interested in loaning me your name—or the name of someone you love (or loathe!)? I'm looking for two names: one will be used for a "goodie" and one for a "baddie".

For the next two weeks I'm auditioning names! If you think your name (or the name of someone else*) is worth using, get in touch. Just sign up for my fortnightly newsletter here and then email me back with the name—first, last or both—and I'll choose the two best to feature in my next Ghostwriter Mystery, the seventh book in the series. Or just pop your name in the comments box below!

The winning names will be announced in an upcoming newsletter but I won't reveal whether the name is being used for a good character or bad—as I don't want to give away the plot!  

The winner will not only get boasting rights, they'll also receive a FREE copy of the book when it comes out. 

After The Ferry 

It's the 1990s, pre-mobile phones, and a young traveller must make a terrifying choice: Will she jump ship with a seductive stranger? Or stay cocooned on the Greek ferry with friends and miss what could be the love of her life?

From the best-selling author comes a cracking, stand-alone romantic suspense with twists and turns that will make you question every decision you ever made, and everyone you ever trusted. 

This is a story of choices, and how one bad decision could end up being the best decision of your life.

Here's how to get your copy


Does that sound intriguing? There's two ways to grab your copy. Over the next week, sign up to the giveaway, above, and see if you can score yourself a FREE ecopy or, if you can't wait, just download your $3.99 eBook at Amazon now.

Thanks, and happy (romantic) reading, everyone.

xo Christina

Ghosts, True Love & the KGB—Your Best Travel Stories

To celebrate my new travel mystery After the Ferry, I asked you to share your own gripping travel stories. Here are the four best entries who've just won a copy of the book!

 Turkish Delight by JLV

"At 42, recently divorced, I met and fell in love with a man from Turkey. He went back to Turkey without saying goodbye. Having never left the USA, I bought a one way ticket to Istanbul, applied for a short-term teaching job, said goodbye to my family and left. I did not tell my lover my plans. After doing my teaching gig, which was a wonderful experience, I tracked down my lover and, two weeks later, we were married. We have been married 10 years now. I was so scared not knowing what to expect in a foreign country and not knowing my lover's feelings. I have never regretted my decision."

 Spy Kids by Mike B.

Three friends and I were, unbeknownst to our parents, traveling through Germany and Austria—in 1967, at the height of the Cold War. We were 16 and 17 years old—riding rented Vespa scooters during the day and camping in remote areas at night. On the 4th night, we were arrested (by non-German-speaking military men; I couldn't understand them). The charge was 'suspicion of espionage.' We found out soon that we had ventured into Communist controlled Czechoslovakia at an unmarked rural border crossing. We were in the custody of the Soviet KGB. . . "

A Near Miss by Nancy Marte

"I travelled to Jamaica by myself after my friend cancelled at the last minute. Met a guy that worked at the resort I was staying at and he invited me to a party with some of his friends. I had the funny weird stomach butterfly feeling so I told him yes as I did not want him to be suspicious of me, then changed rooms at the resort and stayed away from the area he was working. This was in the 1980s. Never regretted this decision." 

Spirited Away by Sammi K

"Went on a Ghost tour on the QEII Long Beach, California with my daughter and granddaughter. When we got to the swimming pool area, they turned off the lights and boy was it really dark.  While we listened to the story, something grabbed me but I couldn't see what. When the lights came back on I didn't see anything. I left the area rather quickly and won't be going back."

Thank you to everyone who took the time to send in their travel stories. I loved hearing your tales of shady travellers, feisty friends, unexpected soul mates and seriously close shaves. I'm sorry I can't give you ALL a lovely prize, but I have chosen FOUR winners instead of three, as promised. So, it's a big CONGRATULATIONS to the subscribers, above, whose stories all captured my imagination. 

You have all just won yourselves a FREE copy of my latest eBook AFTER THE FERRY. I'll be in touch soon with details on how to claim your prize.

Everyone else can grab their own copy by clicking here.

Happy reading, everybody!

xo Christina

Tell Your Wildest Travel Story & WIN New Travel Mystery/Suspense

It happens every single time… 

No sooner have I started telling the true story behind my latest mystery / suspense After The Ferry (see the full story from a past newsletter, below), when the listener invariably rushes in with an extraordinary travel tale of their own. Some stories are sad, some shocking, some sidesplittingly funny, but the ones that grip me the most are the ones that end with words like, "I was so lucky! It could have turned out so different!"

That's what I love about travel—you throw caution to the wind and yourself open to fate. Travel makes you a hostage to destiny. Anything can happen and it often does! At the very least, you meet all kinds of weird and wonderful people and have all manner of wild and wondrous experiences. 

And THAT'S what I want to hear from you! Have you, or someone you know, got a 'near-miss' travel story? A gripping adventure to reveal? A tale of sailing very close to the wind? If so, jot me a few lines today. The best THREE stories that come in over the next week will score a FREE e-copy of my new book. (And just for the record, those of you who have already shared your stories with me, no need to re-send—you're officially in the running!)

But first, the rules…

1. Please keep your stories short and sweet. No more than a few sentences or I won't have the time to read them or the space to repeat them.
2. Please only send gripping tales—something memorable or life-changing that happened to you or someone you were travelling with.
3. Stories must be received within the next seven days to be eligible for the prize. Just reply directly to this blog, leaving a comment below, or sign up to my newsletter and email me that way: calarmer.com.
4. You MUST be willing to share your story and your name (but not your full email address) in my upcoming calarmer.com newsletter. If you don't want your details revealed, best not to apply.
5. Due to the enormous number of entries that I usually receive, no correspondence will be entered into before, during or after this competition (in other words, I won't be able to reply to each story but I will read them, I promise!) 

That's it, folks. I look forward to hearing your near-misses and/or magical, memorable travel moments.

Now, for those who missed my past newsletter (you can sign up at calarmer.com), here's the true story behind my latest psychological mystery. Just scroll down to the blog, below, or click here!

Happy reading, everybody.

xo Christina

PRE-ORDER NOW: Sliding doors-style mystery // thriller // suspense

My latest stand-alone mystery is now available and ready for pre-orders. To get your copy delivered straight to your e-reader, just click on the link here. Otherwise, look out for it August 14.

AFTER THE FERRY

by C.A. Larmer

LAUNCH DATE: August 14, 2019!

'After they had pulled my battered body from the dark sand I began to wonder: What if? What if I had never met a handsome stranger on a Greek ferry, or two possessive Sydney lads, or set off on a journey with an old school friend with a chip on one shoulder and a crush of her own?'

It's the mid-1990s, pre-mobile phones, and a young backpacker must make a terrifying choice—will she jump ship with an alluring Greek man she's just met? Or stay safely on the ferry and miss what could be the love of her life?

One woman, two choices, which way does she go?

In this Sliding Doors-style psychological thriller, we follow Millie Malone and her friends across two dfferent lifetimes: in one life she remains in the belly of her friends, and in the other she throws caution to the wind and jumps.

One life leads to true love, the other leads to murder.

This is a story of choices, and how one bad decision could end up being the best decision of your life.

NOW AVAILABLE @ AMAZON  //  $4.99