The Blurb
It's the height of campaign season, and instead of relishing newlywed bliss with her husband Doug Hollingsworth, Capitol Hill staffer Kit Marshall is busy with a tough reelection fight for her boss, member of Congress Maeve Dixon. Before Maeve and her staff — Kit included — leave Washington, D.C. to campaign full time in North Carolina, they have one last fundraising engagement.
On the iconic rooftop of a restaurant overlooking the Capitol and the Washington monument, Kit and her best pal Meg do their best to woo wealthy lobbyists for sizable campaign donations. Everyone's enjoying the evening soiree until a powerful K Street tycoon mysteriously tumbles off the rooftop. Even with claims the fall must be suicide, Detective Maggie Glass and Kit aren't so easily convinced foul play isn't at work.
While balancing Doug's mid-life career crisis, Kit must spring into action to discover who killed the notorious Van Parker before Dixon's candidacy sputters, even if it means investigating Meg's handsome new beau, the victim's conniving widow, and a bicycle advocate hell-bent on settling a long-standing grudge. When a threatening note is left on Kit's car, warning her to back off the investigation, she knows she's closing in on the true story of what happened.
Book 4 of the Washington Whodunit series, which began with Stabbing in the Senate.
On the iconic rooftop of a restaurant overlooking the Capitol and the Washington monument, Kit and her best pal Meg do their best to woo wealthy lobbyists for sizable campaign donations. Everyone's enjoying the evening soiree until a powerful K Street tycoon mysteriously tumbles off the rooftop. Even with claims the fall must be suicide, Detective Maggie Glass and Kit aren't so easily convinced foul play isn't at work.
While balancing Doug's mid-life career crisis, Kit must spring into action to discover who killed the notorious Van Parker before Dixon's candidacy sputters, even if it means investigating Meg's handsome new beau, the victim's conniving widow, and a bicycle advocate hell-bent on settling a long-standing grudge. When a threatening note is left on Kit's car, warning her to back off the investigation, she knows she's closing in on the true story of what happened.
Book 4 of the Washington Whodunit series, which began with Stabbing in the Senate.
K Street Killing by Colleen J. Shogan
Series: A Washington Whodunit, #4
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Publisher: Camel Press
Release Date: July 15, 2018
Paperback: 242 pages
ISBN-10: 1603816135
ISBN-13: 978-1603816137
eBook File Size: 2707 KB
ASIN: B07DM8B53L
Amazon | B&N
Series: A Washington Whodunit, #4
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Publisher: Camel Press
Release Date: July 15, 2018
Paperback: 242 pages
ISBN-10: 1603816135
ISBN-13: 978-1603816137
eBook File Size: 2707 KB
ASIN: B07DM8B53L
Amazon | B&N
The Guest Post
The most frequent question I am asked when I speak publicly about the “Washington Whodunit” series is when I find time to write. Many authors I know, particularly those who live in expensive urban areas like Washington, D.C., simply cannot exist without holding down a day job. I’m no exception.
My job at the Library of Congress keeps me busy. In addition to regular hours, I often participate in evening events, which can make the typical workday turn into thirteen or fourteen hours. Fortunately, the Library of Congress is also a supportive environment for creative staff. My colleagues encourage my writing and patiently listen to ideas for plotlines and new characters.
However, there’s no substitute for finding the necessary time to write. I always quote the PBS Newshour host Jim Lehrer, who somehow found time to pen novels. How did he do it? It was a simple answer. “Butt in seat,” said Lehrer. In other words, there’s no fancy equation for writing a book. It simply takes time to complete a book, and writers need to find time in their days to do it.
Nonetheless, there are some practices I’ve adopted that has made my limited writing time more efficient and productive. First, while I am a big fan of Stephen King and his book On Writing, there is no way I can imitate his work style. With perhaps only an hour to work on my book in a given day, I need to make the most of that time. Consequently, I create a comprehensive, tight outline of the book’s plot before I start writing. I know exactly how my main character will solve the mystery, which characters she will interact with, and how she’ll discover clues. Red herrings are included, along with subplots. This makes it much easier for me to pick up writing where I left off. There’s no confusion about the next scene or who my character will encounter next. At times, I deviate from that outline as the story develops and I come up with better twists and turns. When I do that, I update the outline so I don’t forget my changes.
Stephen King writes every day for hours, usually in the morning. Due to my work schedule, there may be days or even a week when I cannot work on my current novel in progress. In these instances, the outline serves as a helpful reminder. After a quick consultation of the outline, even if it’s been a while, I’m able to restart my writing seamlessly from the last sentence I wrote.
The process of writing is a personal one. It’s helpful for authors to share tips, but really, each writer must come up with his or her own rhythm and style. The bottom line is that if you have an hour a day, with discipline and careful planning, you can write a novel.
Colleen Shogan
Author of the Washington Whodunit mystery series
The Author
About Colleen J. Shogan
Colleen J. Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. She writes the Washington Whodunit series published by Camel Press and Harlequin.
A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at Yale, George Mason University, Georgetown, and Penn. She previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and is currently a senior executive at the Library of Congress, working on great programs such as the National Book Festival.
A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at Yale, George Mason University, Georgetown, and Penn. She previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and is currently a senior executive at the Library of Congress, working on great programs such as the National Book Festival.
Colleen won the Next Generation Indie Award for Best Mystery for her first novel, Stabbing in the Senate. She lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Rob and their beagle mutt Conan.
Visit Colleen on the web at these locations:
The Giveaway
Colleen J. Shogan will award a $50 Amazon Gift Card
to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Tour Participants
September 3 – Varietats – REVIEW
September 3 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
September 4 – The Power of Words - REVIEW
September 4 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 4 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 5 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW
September 5 – Socrates' Book Reviews – REVIEW
September 6 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 6 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST
September 7 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – REVIEW
September 7 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 8 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 9 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
September 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 10 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 11 – Cassidy's Bookshelves - REVIEW
September 11 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
September 12 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW
September 12 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
September 3 – Varietats – REVIEW
September 3 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
September 4 – The Power of Words - REVIEW
September 4 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 4 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 5 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW
September 5 – Socrates' Book Reviews – REVIEW
September 6 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 6 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST
September 7 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – REVIEW
September 7 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 8 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 9 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
September 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 10 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 11 – Cassidy's Bookshelves - REVIEW
September 11 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
September 12 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW
September 12 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
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