A Deadly Truth (A Cady Delafield Mystery #1) by Joyce Proell

Published July 1st, 2013

Description:

A man obsessed, a woman willing to risk it all…

Tainted in the eyes of Victorian society by his wife’s suicide, successful entrepreneur Doyle Flanagan turns a deaf ear to the baseless gossip and harsh rebukes. Ignoring his shattered reputation, he goes about his business making money, doing some good for others and making a few enemies along the way. Arrested for murder, he is forced to rely on a feisty school administrator to solve the puzzle. As he struggles to prove his innocence, he realizes gaining the trust and loyalty of Cady Delafield may be more important than his freedom.

On a quest to locate a missing student, school matron Cady Delafield enters a stranger’s house and discovers the woman murdered. Driven to see the murderer brought to justice, she is determined to prevent any further tragedy even if it means joining forces with the very man accused of the atrocity. Against the wishes of her powerful family, she risks her job and reputation to learn the truth. But will the truth, once revealed, drive her away from the man she has come to love?

Passion and murder collide in 1880’s Chicago as they race to keep one step ahead of the police who want Doyle to pay for his crime. As the attraction between Cady and Doyle sizzles, they battle suspicions, lies and lethal actions to uncover the murderer before he destroys them both.

GUEST POST

(thank you, Mrs. Joyce Proell)

Hello. I am excited to be at Mythical Books today. It’s always fun to interact with new readers.

Our lives are exceedingly busy. As much as we dislike it, we all, at times, face a deadline. I’ve been asked write about how I meet deadlines and remain sane. My first reaction to that topic was me? Sane? Some days I wonder.  

My idyllic routine of writing four to six hours each day crashed to a halt when my first book Eliza neared release date. Suddenly, I had to juggle writing my next book with making time for book and author promotion. I had to learn how to use social media which lapped up the hours like a thirsty dog at a water bowl. The question became how to organize everything and still have time to do what I love—write. Here are five solutions that work for me.

Break things down into small, manageable components. Be realistic about what can be accomplished in a given time span. A book isn’t written in a day, a week or even a month. So don’t focus on the whole but maybe a chapter a week or several pages per day. No matter what the task, a smaller job is less overwhelming than a bigger one. Another benefit is a reasonable task, completed well, is a boost to one’s sense of accomplishment. Hey. I did it!

Work consistently, every day. This approach chips away at the mountain, and over time, everything will get done.

Schedule daily relax time. This doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. Something easygoing like reading, meditating, deep breathing or a nap will recharge the creative juices. It gives a renewed boost to one’s mental energy.

Exercise and eat healthy foods. I know. I know. Your mother and women’s magazines peddle this constantly. But it’s true. When a person toils under a deadline, they get tired. The brain screams for relief in the form of high carb, high fat foods. Resist the temptation to indulge. Your body will thank you for your discipline.  

Avoid emotionally charged events. While this isn’t always possible, a day spent with negative relatives or friends is a real downer. It’s certain to distract from the creative work of writing.

Schedule the hard and least enjoyable tasks first. Got a promotional piece that needs to be written or a meeting that can’t be avoided? Do it first thing in the morning. Then, happy to have accomplished the task, reward yourself with something that makes you happy. In my case, it’s writing.  

Hopefully, my experience can be a help to someone else.

Readers, do you have a tip you’d care to share for staying sane amid deadlines?

Thanks for joining me today at Mythical Readers. It was a pleasure.

Joyce

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About the author:

Joyce Proell grew up in Minnesota and attended college and grad school in Chicago. After working in mental health, she retired at a young age to write full-time. Her first book, Eliza, was published in 2012. When she isn’t writing mysteries or historical romances, she loves to travel, walk, read, and do crossword puzzles. She and her husband make their home in rural Minnesota in her very own little house on the prairie.

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