Original Title: Deadly Pleasures
Author: Mary Firmin
Publisher: iUniverse.com
Published Date: October 11th 2011
Genre: Mystery, Murder
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Don't judge this book by the cover. I am a cover freak too and I know its not the book you will pick up, when you see the cover. But, this book is such an exception I am glad I agreed to review it.
The novel starts with a murder of a man, when he is in bed with a hooker. Well, for a murder mystery, that's a great start. Soon, there are a series of murders, and the handsome LAPD detective, Matt Donovan, takes on the case.
When this is happening, four friends - Megan, Kathleen, Rachel and Alex - who all are facing some difficult situations in their lives right now, plan to hire a boytoy, to forget their problems. That boytoy is, unfortunately, the prime suspect of the murders, that Matt is investigating. And Matt Donovan is attracted towards Megan, who had recently broken up with her fiancee. Will the next murder be one of these four friends?
This book was so surprisingly good..yeah, its adult-only, but still its good. I can see that the sex and violence is because the plot needs it, not because the readers need it. The writing is very good and that is what, I think, makes this book successful. The small talk, that happens between the four friends, were so realistic, that I was so immersed in those conversations. Even the conversation in other places, the difficulties in relationships and problems in a beautifully built family are also too realistic..nothing dramatic or for the sake of attracting readers. Its like viewing a well-made documentary.
The romance and suspense are so hand in hand, and the real surprise is you are equally interested in both.
Go for it, readers! You will have a thrilling blast!
Warning: Involves S&M sex, violence of the highest variety! So, adults-only book!
4.5 stars! (0.5 knocked off for the cover issue! :) )
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Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing.
My friend, Kathleen, and I were sitting around her house and she expressed a desire to go on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Since we had no other talent we decided we ought to become writers. So we checked the UCLA list of classes and picked out one called How to “Write the Bestseller.” Of course I am being facetious, but that was our thought process. We attended the Bestseller class and fell in love with the process of writing. I had always enjoyed writing as a child and I loved to make up stories, hence my decision to write fiction. The teacher of our UCLA class was Marjorie Miller and she became our mentor. We attended private classes in Westwood with several other writers, many who have since been published, and we were on our way. I wrote a book about Voodoo and I still have it in a drawer. I floundered around for a while, wrote some short stories, a screenplay and then I began to write Deadly Pleasures and found my voice. Of course, we never made it to the Tonight Show but we have had years of joy from our writing. I have always been in a writer’s group and have found this invaluable.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?
I really wanted to be a singer, and I believe I had some talent, but not the willingness to work hard at it. Eventually, I became a dance teacher and owned my own Arthur Murray Dance Studio, and that was a lot of fun. Then I began a career as a Real Estate Agent, and ended up as Vice-President of a large firm which serviced Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, Brentwood, and Marina del Rey -- all of which are in my book.
Finish the sentence—one book I wish that I had written is …..
I would love to have written Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. I adored this book and movie long before Hannibal made an appearance in Silence of the Lambs. I studied this book as a text book and have read it many times.
What are your current literary works? Any sneak peeks?
I am presently working on the second book of a Deadly Trilogy called Deadly Secrets. While Deadly Pleasures takes place near the ocean in the wealthy Yachting Community, Deadly Secrets is located in the California Desert Community, at a an expensive Golf and Tennis Club. Megan Riley and Matt Donovan will again be the main characters and Megan’s friends will appear, although now they are in very different stages of life. As usual, there will be a few gruesome murders.
If I could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
I would definitely go back to the past. I would like to live in the Victorian Era in England. But I would want to be a wealthy Lady, because the poor suffered terribly in Victorian Times. I love the clothes, the furniture, and the horse-driven carriages.
If you could be one of the Greek Gods, which would it be and why?
I would want to be the Greek Goddess, Artemis. She was the goddess of nature and the hunt. The Roman Goddess Diana was the equivalent of Artemis. She was a protector of the slaves and also Goddess of the hunt. The daughter of Jupiter and Latona, Artemis was Apollo’s sister.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
Deadly Pleasures is a fun, exciting read that tells about Megan Riley, and her three best friends, who are all disillusioned with the men in their lives and decide to hire a time-share Boytoy, unaware he is a suspect in the gruesome Bondage Murders.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I think it was probably when I held the finished book for the first time. It was a bittersweet experience because my beloved husband, Bill, had passed away only two months before it came in the mail. We had shared the happiness of publishing the book, and shared much of the research, but he never got to see it.
What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
START. Then keep writing no matter what. Harold Robbins, who sold millions of books, once told me you need Ass Glue to keep you in your chair so you can KEEP ON WRITING.
If you could jump into a book, and live in that world, which would it be?
I can think of so many, I cannot select one.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
AGAINST ALL ODDS.
What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?
Probably my favorite scene in the book is at the luncheon when the girls discover their Boytoy. I patterned the shape of his body and his coloring on my husband so it means a lot to me. Their reactions to him and his body are priceless!
What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you’d be embarrassed to admit?
Hoarders! I even gross myself out when I watch that. I have just become addicted to Monsters on Sci Fy channel. I confess I do watch a lot of horror movies. I guess I like being scared.
What is one book everyone should read?
Sleepyhead by Mark Billingham. It is a very interesting and different type of serial killer book.
One food you would never eat.
I can think of several, among them are Octopus, snails, raw seafood.
QUICK ANSWERS
Favorite Place?
Egypt, on the Nile.
Best Christmas present?
My husband bought me the publishing package for Deadly Pleasures a year ago.
Favorite Book?
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris.
Favorite Author?
Thomas Harris
Favorite smell?
White roses.
Favorite series?
The Tudors
Nickname?
Mary Mary
Favorite writing spot?
When I lived overlooking the ocean or on our boat.
Favorite movie?
Again, Red Dragon.
Favorite dish?
English Meat Pie.
Favorite color?
Black
Favorite quote?
One Day at a Time.
Favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate, chocolate chip.
Your best trait?
Forgiving
Your worst trait?
Spending
This post is part of the Lightning Book Promotions tour.
Author: Mary Firmin
Publisher: iUniverse.com
Published Date: October 11th 2011
Genre: Mystery, Murder
_(1).JPG)
Megan Riley has bigger things to worry about than the fact that her neighbor has just been found dead.
Her engagement has just ended, and she is once again on a quest to find Mr. Right-or at least Mr. Right Now. Tired of emotional ties and ready for a new adventure, Megan and her three best friends make a fateful decision. They hire hunky stripper Michael Harrington as their timeshare boytoy-unaware he is the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders. Suddenly, they find themselves involved in a complicated murder investigation led by a handsome detective who is focused only on finding the twisted serial killer before he strikes again. But who will be the next to die? Megan, the hardworking real estate agent; newly divorced Kathleen; Alex, married to a wealthy businessman; or Rachel, the spurned wife of a hot Hollywood screenwriter?
Following her own investigation, Megan takes a wild ride through L.A.'s bondage parlors, hidden sex clubs, and the extravagant lifestyles of the rich and famous; soon she discovers that her quest for adventure has abruptly transformed into a dangerous game of life and death.
BOOK TRAILER
REVIEW
Don't judge this book by the cover. I am a cover freak too and I know its not the book you will pick up, when you see the cover. But, this book is such an exception I am glad I agreed to review it.
The novel starts with a murder of a man, when he is in bed with a hooker. Well, for a murder mystery, that's a great start. Soon, there are a series of murders, and the handsome LAPD detective, Matt Donovan, takes on the case.
When this is happening, four friends - Megan, Kathleen, Rachel and Alex - who all are facing some difficult situations in their lives right now, plan to hire a boytoy, to forget their problems. That boytoy is, unfortunately, the prime suspect of the murders, that Matt is investigating. And Matt Donovan is attracted towards Megan, who had recently broken up with her fiancee. Will the next murder be one of these four friends?
This book was so surprisingly good..yeah, its adult-only, but still its good. I can see that the sex and violence is because the plot needs it, not because the readers need it. The writing is very good and that is what, I think, makes this book successful. The small talk, that happens between the four friends, were so realistic, that I was so immersed in those conversations. Even the conversation in other places, the difficulties in relationships and problems in a beautifully built family are also too realistic..nothing dramatic or for the sake of attracting readers. Its like viewing a well-made documentary.
The romance and suspense are so hand in hand, and the real surprise is you are equally interested in both.
Go for it, readers! You will have a thrilling blast!
Warning: Involves S&M sex, violence of the highest variety! So, adults-only book!
4.5 stars! (0.5 knocked off for the cover issue! :) )
INTERVIEW WITH MARY FIRMIN
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Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing.
My friend, Kathleen, and I were sitting around her house and she expressed a desire to go on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Since we had no other talent we decided we ought to become writers. So we checked the UCLA list of classes and picked out one called How to “Write the Bestseller.” Of course I am being facetious, but that was our thought process. We attended the Bestseller class and fell in love with the process of writing. I had always enjoyed writing as a child and I loved to make up stories, hence my decision to write fiction. The teacher of our UCLA class was Marjorie Miller and she became our mentor. We attended private classes in Westwood with several other writers, many who have since been published, and we were on our way. I wrote a book about Voodoo and I still have it in a drawer. I floundered around for a while, wrote some short stories, a screenplay and then I began to write Deadly Pleasures and found my voice. Of course, we never made it to the Tonight Show but we have had years of joy from our writing. I have always been in a writer’s group and have found this invaluable.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?
I really wanted to be a singer, and I believe I had some talent, but not the willingness to work hard at it. Eventually, I became a dance teacher and owned my own Arthur Murray Dance Studio, and that was a lot of fun. Then I began a career as a Real Estate Agent, and ended up as Vice-President of a large firm which serviced Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, Brentwood, and Marina del Rey -- all of which are in my book.
Finish the sentence—one book I wish that I had written is …..
I would love to have written Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. I adored this book and movie long before Hannibal made an appearance in Silence of the Lambs. I studied this book as a text book and have read it many times.
What are your current literary works? Any sneak peeks?
I am presently working on the second book of a Deadly Trilogy called Deadly Secrets. While Deadly Pleasures takes place near the ocean in the wealthy Yachting Community, Deadly Secrets is located in the California Desert Community, at a an expensive Golf and Tennis Club. Megan Riley and Matt Donovan will again be the main characters and Megan’s friends will appear, although now they are in very different stages of life. As usual, there will be a few gruesome murders.
If I could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
I would definitely go back to the past. I would like to live in the Victorian Era in England. But I would want to be a wealthy Lady, because the poor suffered terribly in Victorian Times. I love the clothes, the furniture, and the horse-driven carriages.
If you could be one of the Greek Gods, which would it be and why?
I would want to be the Greek Goddess, Artemis. She was the goddess of nature and the hunt. The Roman Goddess Diana was the equivalent of Artemis. She was a protector of the slaves and also Goddess of the hunt. The daughter of Jupiter and Latona, Artemis was Apollo’s sister.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
Deadly Pleasures is a fun, exciting read that tells about Megan Riley, and her three best friends, who are all disillusioned with the men in their lives and decide to hire a time-share Boytoy, unaware he is a suspect in the gruesome Bondage Murders.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I think it was probably when I held the finished book for the first time. It was a bittersweet experience because my beloved husband, Bill, had passed away only two months before it came in the mail. We had shared the happiness of publishing the book, and shared much of the research, but he never got to see it.
What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
START. Then keep writing no matter what. Harold Robbins, who sold millions of books, once told me you need Ass Glue to keep you in your chair so you can KEEP ON WRITING.
If you could jump into a book, and live in that world, which would it be?
I can think of so many, I cannot select one.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
AGAINST ALL ODDS.
What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?
Probably my favorite scene in the book is at the luncheon when the girls discover their Boytoy. I patterned the shape of his body and his coloring on my husband so it means a lot to me. Their reactions to him and his body are priceless!
What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you’d be embarrassed to admit?
Hoarders! I even gross myself out when I watch that. I have just become addicted to Monsters on Sci Fy channel. I confess I do watch a lot of horror movies. I guess I like being scared.
What is one book everyone should read?
Sleepyhead by Mark Billingham. It is a very interesting and different type of serial killer book.
One food you would never eat.
I can think of several, among them are Octopus, snails, raw seafood.
QUICK ANSWERS
Favorite Place?
Egypt, on the Nile.
Best Christmas present?
My husband bought me the publishing package for Deadly Pleasures a year ago.
Favorite Book?
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris.
Favorite Author?
Thomas Harris
Favorite smell?
White roses.
Favorite series?
The Tudors
Nickname?
Mary Mary
Favorite writing spot?
When I lived overlooking the ocean or on our boat.
Favorite movie?
Again, Red Dragon.
Favorite dish?
English Meat Pie.
Favorite color?
Black
Favorite quote?
One Day at a Time.
Favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate, chocolate chip.
Your best trait?
Forgiving
Your worst trait?
Spending
This post is part of the Lightning Book Promotions tour.
I think it's worth noting that the author of Deadly Pleasures, Mary Firman, is going to rather disgusting lengths to promote this book. She followed me on Twitter, read a blog I wrote about my aunt dying two days earlier, then had the balls to send me a tweet stating
ReplyDelete"@TobinElliott God Bless Aunt Hannah. I think she’d have loved my book Deadly Pleasures See reviews..." and gave her site. She tried to hock a book at me based on the death of a loved one. This is the class of this woman. But don't believe me, check out @FirmanMary for yourself.
Great review Mary. The book sounds amazing :)
ReplyDeleteBK Walker
LOL, sorry was ready above comment..ahem anyway thanks for being a part of the Deadly Pleasures blog tour. I am glad that you liked the book. :)
ReplyDelete