Murder on the Interstate Virtual Book Tour, May 2011

Murder on the Interstate

Join Jean Henry Mead, author of the mystery/suspense novel, Murder on the Interstate (Oak Tree Press, April 2011), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in May on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

Jean Henry Mead photo

About Jean Henry Mead

Jean Henry Mead is a mystery/suspense and western historical novelist. She’s also an award-winning photojournalist. One of her fortes is interviewing writers, actors, politicians, artists and ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things. She began her writing career as a California news reporter/editor/photographer, first in Central California and later in San Diego. Mead then transferred to Casper, Wyoming, to serve as a staff writer for the statewide newspaper. While there she served as editor of In Wyoming Magazine and two small presses. She also freelanced for other magazines, both domestically and abroad, among them the Denver Post’s Empire Magazine. Her first book was published in 1981. She’s since published thirteen novels and nonfiction books.

She currently writes the Hamilton Kids children’s mystery series as well as the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series. Her latest release in the Logan & Cafferty series is Murder on the Interstate.

Visit Jean online at www.jeanhenrymead.com.  She also blogs at:

http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/

http://writersofthewest.blogspot.com/

http://murderousmusings.blogspot.com/

http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/

About Murder on the Interstate Murder on the Interstate cover

Two feisty 60-year old women sleuths encounter murder, homegrown terrorism, kidnapping and disasters as they travel Arizona in their motorhome. The third novel in the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series, Murder on the Interstate will leave you breathless.

Read the excerpt!

Lulled by a lack of traffic and the steady beat of rain, Dana was in danger of nodding off when a convertible roared past, followed by a late model pickup. The heavy downpour obscured her view, but they appeared to be coupled like boxcars. Why were they driving that dangerously close, and why so fast in the rain?

An I-40 highway sign signaled an approaching curve so she clicked off the cruise control and slowed to forty-five. Taillights had vanished and she glanced in both side mirrors. The earlier truck traffic had also disappeared and no headlights were visible in either direction. Darkness was closing in on her.

Sarah groaned from the passenger seat, apparently still asleep. Must be the anchovies. Her friend had insisted on stopping for pizza at a Kingman roadside cafe. Dana groped for the Tums. As she rounded the curve, she noticed two sets of brake lights not far ahead. The motorhome swayed as she stepped into her own brakes and skidded on the pavement. Road signs had warned of animal crossings. The convertible might have swerved to avoid hitting a deer and gone off the mountain road. Dana pulled onto the shoulder as the pickup following the convertible screeched back on the pavement. Why hadn’t the driver stopped to help?

Bolting upright in the passenger seat, Sarah said, “What’s happening?” Her voice was thick with sleep.

“We’re about to find out.”

Headlights angled upward from somewhere off the road, illuminating a huge digger pine. It had to be the convertible. Dana opened her door and climbed down. The steps were slick with rain and she nearly lost her balance. She heard the passenger door slam as she started down the embankment. Chilled and miserably wet, she slipped and landed in a bed of pine needles. Why hadn’t she grabbed the flashlight? Dana glanced up at her friend, who stood shivering on the shoulder. “Sarah,” she yelled, “Call 911 and hurry.”

The smell of gasoline was strong, despite the heavy rain. The convertible had missed several pine trees but a boulder had stopped its forward motion. Both doors were locked. Peering through the driver’s window, she could see nothing more than shattered glass, a dime-sized hole centering the web design. She then heard several backfires and a ping of metal as though the convertible had been struck by a rock. Realizing it was a gunshot, she dropped to her knees in the mud.

Sarah!

Slipping and clawing her way up the slope, she crawled onto the shoulder. A pickup was parked behind the RV. The driver had a nervous foot. A moment later another set of headlights emerged from the curve down the road. Tires squealed as the pickup roared off. As it passed, the RV’s headlights caught a dark red truck, which appeared to be a newer model. When Dana glanced in the passenger window, Sarah was crouched between the seats, the cell phone clutched in her hand. She took her time unlocking the passenger door.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m not sure.” Sarah patted her chest, breathing heavily.

“What happened?”

“He shot up the motorhome.”

“Did he shoot at you?”

“I don’t think he saw me. He only seemed interested in wounding Matilda.”

Dana hated the name Sarah had christened the RV, but that was the least of her worries. Grabbing a flashlight, she climbed back down the steps. A quick inspection revealed inside tires still inflated but the outer ones in the back were flat. She heard an engine shift down and was caught in the glare of headlights. Signaling with her flashlight, she was relieved when the big truck slowed and pulled in behind the motorhome. The driver seemed to be endlessly checking gauges before descending from the cab. Once on the ground, a warm, plump hand gripped hers in greeting.

“The name’s McCurdy,” the husky voice said. ”Everybody calls me Big Ruby.”

At nearly six feet, she was Dana’s height although nearly twice her girth.

Read the reviews!

“Careen into crime with two intrepid sleuths who outwit terrorists in a fast-paced plot taken from today’s headlines. A page turner.”

–Carolyn Hart

Murder on the Interstate burns rubber right out of the gate and exceeds the speed limit on every page. With all the car chases, gun shots, screeching breaks, and crashes, the movie version could be the sequel to one of those car-heist action-films. Except for the fact that the protagonists are two women approaching Medicare, and their vehicle is a motorhome. Dana and Sarah are stalwart, clever and funny characters, and author Jean Henry Mead caroms them from one tight situation to another as they weave along the Interstate and into a high stakes mystery.”

—J. Michael Orenduff, Lefty Award-winning author of The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein

“Full of surprising twists and turns, Jean Henry Mead has produced an RV adventure with her two senior sleuths in hot pursuit of a murderer, but the tables turn and the two women learn that not only are they in danger but so is our national security. An exciting mystery that will keep you turning pages.”

–F. M. Meredith, author of Angel Lost

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Murder on the Interstate Virtual Book Tour Schedule

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May 2nd

Book spotlighted at Books, Products and More!

May 3rd

Book spotlighted at Broowaha

May 4th

Guest blogging at Marilyn’s Musings

May 5th

Guest blogging at Paperback Writer

Guest blogging at Dog Blog

Series spotlighted at Broowaha

May 6th

Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book!

May 9th

Book reviewed at The Book Connection

Guest blogging at Living, writing and other stuff

May 10th

Guest blogging at Review from Here books

May 11th

Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

Guest blogging at Authors and Appetizers

May 12th

Interviewed at The Hot Author Report

Guest blogging at Marian Allen: Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes

May 13th

Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

May 16th

Book spotlighted at American Chronicle

Guest blogging at Thoughts in Progress

May 17th

Interviewed at Examiner

Book reviewed at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye

May 18th

Book spotlighted at Between the Covers

May 19th

Book spotlighted at The Plot

May 20th

Character interviewed at The Plot

May 22nd

Guest blogging at Type M for Murder

May 23rd

Guest blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Guest blogging at Straight from Hel

Book reviewed and guest blogging at Sheila Deeth’s Visit My Refracted Muse

May 24th

Book reviewed at MysteriesEtc

Book reviewed at Another Draught

May 25th

Book reviewed at Marilyn’s Musings

Guest blogging at Acme Authors Link

Book trailer featured at If Books Could Talk

May 26th

Book reviewed at Reviews by Molly

Book reviewed by June Shaw at Pump Up Your Book!

May 27th

Guest blogging at Murder By 4

Book reviewed by Earl Staggs at Pump Up Your Book!

TBD:

Guest blogging at Monoblog

UPDATE!  Here are the winners of the contest Jean ran during her VBT!

Winner of a copy of Murder on the Interstate: Alex Cavanaugh

Winner of a copy of Murder on the Interstate: Jack Everett

Winner of a copy of Murder on the Interstate: Kari Wainwright

Diane Allen will be a character in Jean’s next book.

Thanks to all who participated!

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Jean Henry Mead’s MURDER ON THE INTERSTATE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘11 will officially begin on May 2 and end on May 27, 2011. Please contact Cheryl Malandrinos at cg20pm00(at)gmail(dot)com if you are interested in hosting and/or reviewing her book or click here to use the form. Thank you!

If you would like to book your own virtual book tour with us, click here to find out how!

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