Category Archives: Writing

New mystery novel out NOW!

Mystery, Novel, Writing
ButNotForgotten_largeMy third novel, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, has just been released in e-book format through Amber Quill Press. It’s on sale right out the gate and only costs $4.55. It’ll be available in print and on Amazon in mid-December, but it’s only available through the publisher at the moment.
 
In BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, which is the first in a planned mystery series, Clint Wolf’s life has been dealt a heavy blow, thanks to the anti-cop sentiment and policies of Governor Lester Katz. Alone and utterly lost, Clint trades his detective shield for a framing hammer and puts homicide investigations as far in his rearview mirror as he can—that is, until he’s asked to serve as police chief for a quiet little town deep in the swamps of southeast Louisiana.
 
While the job seems uneventful, the tranquility of the sleepy town is shattered when the severed arm of a missing businessman is found in the jowls of an alligator. Drawing upon his experience and training, Clint sets out to investigate the case with the assistance of Sergeant Susan Wilson, a no-nonsense cop who moonlights as a cage fighter. When they finally locate the body of the businessman, they discover he’s been murdered—shot pointblank in the forehead—and things begin to get even uglier from there.
 
As the investigation ensues, Clint battles secret demons from his past while trying to get to know a local reporter named Chloe on a personal level. Chloe proves to be an asset to the case when she shares information from a confidential informant who says the murder was part of a larger plot.
 
Will Clint and Susan unveil and foil the larger plot before it’s too late, or will the citizens of Louisiana awaken to a horror worse than any in their state’s history?
 
Click to Purchase

Teaser from BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Mystery, Novel, Writing

Here’s a short teaser from my upcoming novel, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN:

I continued down the street, and Susan pointed ahead to a small trailer on the right.

“That should be it,” she said.

I pulled to the side of the road in front of the trailer and parked parallel to it. After throwing the gearshift in park, I stepped out and walked around the front of the Tahoe and met Susan near a small ditch. We paused to scan the area. An older model Caprice sat in the muddy driveway. The yard was clean, with the exception of an old dog kennel that lay on its side. “I need one of those for—”

A gunshot suddenly erupted from the area of the trailer and the taillight on my passenger’s side exploded into tiny shards.

“Holy shit!” Susan dropped to her face beside the Tahoe and scrambled on all fours around the back of the SUV until she reached the other side and it was between her and the trailer.

Another shot rang out and the headlight on the passenger’s side blew out.

ButNotForgotten_large

BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, the first in my Clint Wolf Mystery Series, will be available in e-book form through the publisher, Amber Quill Press, on December 6, 2015, and the print version will be out soon after. Please help me spread the word.

Whatever you do in life, make sure to leave a mark!

bjb

Cover Reveal for BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Mystery, Novels, Writing

I’m really excited about my next novel, which is titled BUT NOT FORGOTTEN and is due out December 6, 2015 through Amber Quill Press. This will be the first in a series of books featuring Clint Wolf. Clint’s a tortured soul who works as chief of police for a small swampy town in southeast Louisiana called Mechant Loup. He mans a four-person department that includes Sergeant Susan Wilson, a strong female officer who moonlights as a cage fighter.

When a severed arm is found in the jowls of an alligator, Clint and his team must work to figure out to whom it belongs and how it got there. I hope everyone will check it out when it’s available.

Here’s the cover art:

ButNotForgotten_large

BUT NOT FORGOTTEN to be published by Amber Quill Press!

Writing

My latest mystery novel, which is titled BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, will be published by Amber Quill Press late this year or early next year. This will be my third novel through Amber Quill Press, with my first two being JAMES 516 (2014) and THE SEVENTH TAKING (2015), and I’m proud to say I’m one of their authors.

BUT NOT FORGOTTEN is the first in a planned series under the subtitle, “A Clint Wolf Mystery”, and it features Police Chief Clint Wolf as the main protagonist, along with his sidekick Susan Wilson, a no-nonsense police sergeant who moonlights as a cage fighter. This was a fun book to write and I can’t wait to introduce these characters and this story to the world.

If you’ve read my other books and liked them, I hope you will check this one out, too. If you’ve never read anything I’ve written, I invite you to check out one or more of my books or short stories and let me know what you think.

I will post more information and updates as they become available.

Thanks for visiting and reading!

bjb

Free Mystery Download

Writing

Amber Quill Press has reprinted my short story, MUDDY WATERS, as a free download. MUDDY WATERS is the one that started it all for me. Back on May 23rd of 2003, Earl Staggs, Senior Fiction Editor for FUTURES Mysterious Anthology Magazine, notified me that MUDDY WATERS had been accepted for publication. The story was edited by FMAM Founder and Publisher Babs Lakey and appeared in the Summer 2004 issue–it was even featured on the cover. That one acceptance lit a fire under me that has only burned brighter over the years. Since then, I’ve had over 180 short stories and articles and three novels accepted for publication, with more to come.

STORY BLURB:

When the decomposing body of a woman is found floating in the muddy waters of Bayou Lafourche, Detectives Brandon Wolfe and Rick Patterson suspect accidental death or suicide…until the autopsy reveals the victim drowned in clear water.

Now they must find out who wanted Cynthia Coleman dead, and why…

For those interested in downloading and reading MUDDY WATERS, just click on the image below, which was produced by Amber Quill Press.

Muddy Waters Promo

Author Meet and Greet at Thibodaux Library

Appearance, Writing


I had a great time today at the Thibodaux Public Library for my author “meet-and-greet”. I want to thank Shannon Hubbell for inviting me and for extending such a warm welcome.

Here are some pictures from the event:

I’m talking to an aspiring young writer who loves writing horror stories:


Me and Grace:


I met Angela, who loves Marilyn Monroe and who took a chance on JAMES 516. Thank you very much, Angela! I hope you like it!


Some of the local flavor from the library:




And to close out the show, me and Amanda:


(Note Kate in the background reading over the shoulder of the statue.)

Thanks for reading and, once again, thanks to the Thibodaux Library for inviting me.

BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016).
 
© 2015 BJ Bourg

My JAMES 516 bookmarks are in!

Writing


After hearing Jennifer DeHart Sons (Through the Booking Glass Blog) speak about “swag” at the Houma Jambalaya Writers’ Conference, I researched some online places where I could have bookmarks made. After checking out a couple of them, I settled on Overnight Prints. I threw together a front and back image, uploaded it to their website, requested a thousand copies, paid $62, and then sat back and waited. Five days later, this came in the mail:

My JAMES 516 bookmarks are in!

If anyone is interested in how I made the bookmark, here goes:


I’m no artist, so I have to keep things simple–very simple. For the front of the bookmark, I wanted an obvious sniper logo, since my main character in JAMES 516 is a police sniper, so I dug up a picture of me from sniper training, where I was in a prone position at the range shooting my Accuracy International Model AE sniper rifle chambered in .308 caliber, and realized it would fit the 2 x 6 bookmark size well.


Me during sniper training a few years ago.

Using the “magic wand” tool on Photoshop, I highlighted my silhouette and then used the “fill layer” feature to turn my proned-out body solid white. I then applied the solid white image to a black background, added the cover art, which was done by Trace Edward Zaber, and added my website address. It was that simple.


The finished logo for the front of the bookmark

For the back of the bookmark, I included the title, byline, genre, publisher and ISBN.


The finished logo for the back of the backmark
There you have it . . . 1,000 2 x 6 bookmarks that were easy to make and only cost about $.06 each. As one might imagine, I’m now a big fan of Overnight Prints.


If you like it or dislike it and want to share your thoughts, feel free to do so. This is my first attempt and I’m hoping to get better as I go along . . . of course, I have to hand out 1,000 of these before I can work on another one. 🙂

BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016).
 
© 2015 BJ Bourg

THE SEVENTH TAKING now on Amazon!

Writing
THE SEVENTH TAKING, my latest mystery novel, is available on ‪Amazon‬ in ‪Kindle‬ format. While it can definitely appeal to adults, it is also appropriate for young readers–unlike JAMES 516, which is aimed at adult audiences–and it features a cast of teenage characters.

I got the idea for the story while visiting my favorite place on earth: the ‪Great Smoky Mountains‬ National Forest. The Smokies are majestic and breathtaking to behold, but unbridled and wild. I’ve been there eight times over the years and each time I explore the area, I’m inspired by all the places I see and the things I do there. In my opinion, there’s absolutely no better setting for a creepy mystery, and the Smokies inspired the creation of the Blue Summit Mountains, which is the fictitious setting for THE SEVENTH TAKING.


When I visited in June/July of 2012, I read about a man who had gone missing three months earlier. That reminded me of other missing person cases I had previously read about. As I explored the mountains on that 2012 trip, I couldn’t help but wonder what had become of those poor people. My imagination ran wild and, upon returning home from vacation, I began writing what later became THE SEVENTH TAKING, which is a mystery that follows Abraham Wilson on his quest to find his missing ex-girlfriend, who disappeared while vacationing with her family.



As I wrote THE SEVENTH TAKING, my heart went out to the many families who have lost loved ones without a trace in the mountains. I can’t imagine the horror they endure each day their loved ones are not found, and I want them to know I empathize with them and pray for the safe return of those close to them who have disappeared.


May closure come!

BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016).
 
© 2015 BJ Bourg

South Lafourche Library Book Signing

Appearance, Writing

I want to thank the South Lafourche Branch of the Lafourche Parish Public Library for inviting me to an Author Visit and Book Signing event in honor of Library Appreciation Week. They extended the warmest of welcomes and made me feel at home—and what a home it is! It’s a large and beautiful facility, and it drips with local culture, as you will see in the following pictures that Amanda took.



Although it rained all morning, that didn’t stop people from trickling into the library—and one of them happened to be my biggest fan, Ms. Helen Hebert.


Ms. Hebert raved about JAMES516 with an excitement that humbled me. She discussed the twists in the book, talked about how surprising they were, and said she got the “goose-bumps” just talking about it—she even pointed them out on her arm! I was so unbelievably flattered to hear her go on and on about something I wrote. It was the highlight of my writing journey to this point. Her excitement was infectious and she absolutely made my day.



I’m always flattered when someone leaves a positive review about one of my books on Amazon or Goodreads. However, after hearing the excitement in Ms. Hebert’s voice when she talked about JAMES 516, it made me wish I could hear every review in person and meet everyone who has read my books.



I had a nice conversation with another visitor, Ms. Joyce Anselmi. It began when I saw her carrying a DVD of the television show, Orange Is the New Black. It appears we’re both huge fans of the series and she was searching for follow-up seasons. While there, Ms. Anselmi decided to take a chance on JAMES 516. I appreciate that she did and I hope she likes it as much as Ms. Hebert did.



As I’m originally from the South Lafourche area, there will always be a special place in my heart for the people there. They made my first visit to the South Lafourche Branch Library as an author a memorable one, and I look forward to returning!



Being a novelist is new to me and, so far, the most fun I’ve had is getting out and meeting people with a passion for fiction, because reading is definitely what made me the man I am today (I may tell that story in a future post).

As for now, I want to close by thanking everyone who braved the heavy rain to come out and meet me and/or purchase a copy of JAMES 516.

Purchase Now
© 2015 BJ Bourg

Jambalaya Writers’ Conference Rocked!

Appearance, Writing



In furtherance of my commitment to assisting writers in getting their police procedural information right, I took Righting Crime Fiction on the road and presented “Two Routes to the Truth” at the Jambalaya Writers’ Conference in Houma, LA. Lauren Bordelon and her staff did a superb job of organizing this massive event and they deserve a HUGE shout-out for their hard work!
Presenting at JWC 2015 was a rewarding experience and the authors who attended were extremely welcoming. I was flattered by the many requests to speak elsewhere and excited to meet so many fellow writers. I was especially blessed to meet two teenagers who wanted me to speak to their high school reading class. Their thirst for knowledge and their air of enthusiasm was infectious. It was indeed a tremendous honor to speak with them and the other writers I met at the conference.
Not only was I honored to be there presenting, but my wife, Amanda, and I were thrilled to attend some informative sessions by knowledgeable experts in their fields. The first session we attended was Jennifer Sons’ “Blogging 101” and I learned things about blogging that I would never have learned on my own. Jennifer runs the blog, Through the Booking Glass, and she is a joy to listen to.
Next, we attended Tom Colgan’s engaging session called “What Was (S)He Thinking”. Tom is an executive editor at Penguin Books and his many years of experience was evident as he delivered his message.
Lastly, we attended the “American Idol of First Pages”, where Fredi Friedman (President of Fredrica S. Friedman & Co., Inc.), Heather Graham (New York Times and USA Today bestselling author), Regina Ryan (owner of Regina Ryan Books Agency) and Molly Bolden (owner of Bent Pages Bookstore) critiqued the first page of a number of novels that were submitted by writers who attended the conference. This session was very informative and we learned what did or didn’t work for these experts.
This was a great event and a memorable weekend for Amanda and me. We are looking very much forward to next year!
In closing, I want to thank everyone who purchased a copy of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014)…it’s greatly appreciated!
BJ Bourg