Character Q&A: Marcus of the Avalon from David LeRoy's The Siren of Paris #characterinterview

 

Today's guest is Marcus of the Avalon from inside the pages of THE SIREN OF PARIS by David LeRoy.  It is a pleasure to have him with us at The Literary Nook!

What is your name?

Marcus of the Avalon.  

My seal of my office is here. 

What do you look like? 

Middle Age Garden variety of movie star looks.   My society is VAIN.   But the vanity has gone out the window as other trends take hold.  

Where are you today and what are you doing?

I live above the clouds close to a local our ocean port and near a major airport.  Today is nice but the other day there was a huge storm that came roaring through with a tornado warning.  It has been a violent weather year.  Today was a typical day.  We have had several close calls with birds, planes and other ships of the air.  Never a dull moment here up above the ocean.    

Describe the outside of your home.

It is a wonderful metallic structure that has view.  The antigravity systems are below and just a standard every typical view overlooking the ocean and the port of Atlantis, We are in complex of known as The City of Clouds.  It started off small but it grew over time into a massive floating structure.  

 

It is discreet as to not alarm the passing airplanes.  

There are huge problems with planes.   We believe they like to buzz the City of Clouds to impress the passengers.  It gets annoying.  I was on the balcony one morning and here comes along a very noisy supper jet, and all you see is are people faces up against the windows. Come on people.  They act as if they have never seen a floating city before in the entire life.  Truth is they were living in the city until the announcements. Something tells me that they are never to return. 

What's the mood outside right now?

Well, Please do not repeat this and you did not hear it from me, but there are rumors running wild through the City of Clouds. The one that has everyone talking is that a very large comet is going to come close enough to the earth to strike it or fragments will hit the earth.  We have heard these alarms in the past, but it is a bit different now.  

The air traffic is taking more people away from the city than bring them into it.   I have several rentals and no one is coming for the vacations any longer.   I also believe that the atmosphere has intensified once the military showed up and with the declaration of a potential need to get into evacuation mode.   People became more preoccupied than usual once the idea that the potential was real this time.  There more people now wanting to leave than transports can take, but the bottle neck line is not too long.  Other than the fear, most are behaving well. 

What is your favorite piece of clothing?

I enjoy a casual wear of a blue shirt with silver pants.   This is just everyday uniform of my world that is required by law.  The blue is the highest ranking citizen.  It is a signature of my office.  My role is largely ceremonial but recently, I have been called upon to make important decisions.  

What scares you? 

Normally, I have no worries.  But, recently I am more concerned about when or where should I go in the event that everyone must leave the City of Clouds.  North is horridly cold.   Plus, the animals are extremely vicious.  Later today, there is going to be a meeting of the counsel of Atlantis, and with the City of Clouds.  My hopes are that it does go well and that there is no panic.  There are the concerns such as are there enough evacuations ships. Someone I am sure is going to raise the issues of food, provisions and how should we live without our technology.  My role is to maintain order and calm.  It has been challenging recently.  

How would your family describe you?

I think they describe me as a calm and principled Emperor of Atlantis and just an all-around nice guy. With my age I have gained some weight, looks are not everything.  I will be 119 Years old in two months, should I live that long. 

Who is your best friend?

Truth is told it is God.  I don’t believe it is a very good for moral for me to leave the City along with others, and I also know that the evacuation plans and technological recovery require my leadership. Today they are taking the library out and later today they are going to remove the medical laboratories.  It is odd.  But I suppose that all things must end and that creates new beginnings.   I have enjoyed this talk, but I have to go.  The City of Clouds is about to get some bad news from me and I need some time to prepare, pray and get emotionally grounded.  Oh dear Lord, there is a run on the Quantum Computer Solid State Crystals on the main market.  Well, I am sure it will work out.   Big Smiles, Positive Attitude, maybe it is for the best that I stay with the city as it goes down?  I detest most of the ice age animals of Earth.  The wooly mammoths can be stubborn.  

Oh the staff has done such a good job with a nice lunch of the Senate of Atlantis.   I do hope that they will eat some instead of breaking out into a food fight. I have given up on attempting to abdicate my role, or to simply ‘disappear.’  They will find me, and just bring me back to the throne of my destruction.  I feel the weight of destiny.  Now you know why I pray and talk to God as I wait for the light in the sky to strike us down.  Um, there is a shrimp platter today.  I should get a plate before I speak in case they don’t like what I have to say.    

Today will be the last of these meals.   I am ordering that all staff is now first off and we who have rule shall be the last.  Please pray for me.  

What's the last thing you do at night?

It is to pray.  I pray that the comet will pass, but it is looking like it could hit.  I pray that people will survive without our world’s technology.  I know that some will survive, but just not sure of whom when, and the where.  I pray that my family will receive the training the need to survive.  My oldest son is struggling to accept the possibilities of a very different future.  My youngest daughter left two days ago on one of those planes.  Recently I have been praying until I perhaps break down into crying, and well, fall asleep.  

 

About the Book   

Journey through the dark, violent, and haunting landscape of World War II in Paris and beyond – Take on a harrowing tour through the depths of human depravity, exploring themes of love, loss, guilt, and redemption in this gripping historical tale.

Marc Tolbert, a young French-born man from a prominent American family, takes off to Paris for a fresh start after a breakup in 1939. Pursuing his dreams of attending a prestigious Parisian art school, he soon makes friends with some of history’s most notable figures, including Sylvia Beach and William Bullitt. Falling in love with an art model from one of his classes, he is blinded to the escalating violence around them as the war inches closer to the City of Lights.

What started as an adventure quickly becomes a nightmare as the war worsens, and Marc is faced with choices that will change his life forever.

When he finally faces the reality that he must leave Paris, fate deals him a cruel hand. Surviving the sinking of the RMS Lancastria, Marc is haunted by the deaths of his friends and the regret of not leaving sooner.

Returning to Paris, Marc is drawn into the resistance movement, risking everything to help those trapped behind enemy lines. But after being betrayed, he is captured and sent away to face the horrors of war and the guilt of his past mistakes.

The Siren of Paris is a powerful and emotional story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With its compelling plot-driven narrative, vivid scenes, and intense action, this novel will transport you to the heart of war-torn Paris and leave you contemplating the weight of human choices and their impact on others. Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, war stories, or symbolic themes, this novel will captivate and intrigue you from start to finish.

The Siren of Paris is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Book Details

• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Sub-genre: Magical Realism
• Language:English
• Pages: 352
• Paperback ISBN: 978-0983966715

╰┈➤Here’s What Readers Have To Say!

“The soul of this book is found in LeRoy’s analysis of human nature through the main character. There really is nothing like a life-or-death situation that can split human nature so cleanly and show us what being human really means. The author shows us how a person can be completely changed from this experience, how in a few short years, in a few short moments, or even in a split second, everything can become drastically different. This book is suited for those with a love for history and those with a love for fiction alike. This novel brought tears to my eyes and left me with a more enlightened heart, so it is with absolute pleasure that I say The Siren of Paris is highly recommended.” – Boyu Huang, Allbooks Review Int.“I’ve just finished reading Siren of Paris by David LeRoy and it’s a story that will stay with me for a while. It has a complex, well developed plotline and presents the story in a tantalising way. I’ve read quite a few books set during the Second World War… this one especially gripped me.” – Dianne Ascroft Ascroft 

 

About the Author 

David LeRoy is an author and avid explorer of the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and art. His debut novel, The Siren of Paris, is a poignant work that emerged from personal family research he undertook in 2010 to locate missing persons of WWII.

LeRoy’s fluency in French and two-year sojourn in France afforded him unique insights into the French culture he deftly weaves into his literary work. With a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion, an MBA from California State University Sacramento, and an MSc. Applied Data Science from Paris, France, LeRoy is a polymath with diverse interests and an insatiable curiosity for knowledge.

He currently resides in California, where he continues to write and pursue his creative passions.

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesirenofparis

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14760740-the-siren-of-paris?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=v6UbhLIMmb&rank=1

Q&A: Marie McGaha, Author of 'Your Ghost: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Echoes That Remain' #Q&A #Interview

Marie McGaha is an award-winning writer whose work includes clean historical romances, Christian devotionals, and heartfelt children’s books. A storyteller at her core, she weaves faith, resilience, and gentle humor through every page she writes.

She makes her home in southeast Oklahoma, in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, where life is anything but quiet. Her days are shared with four spoiled dogs, a crippled rooster with more attitude than feathers, a noisy guinea who believes it runs the place, a couple of flighty hens, and a watchful roo who keeps an eye on everything that moves. This lively little farm—equal parts sanctuary and circus—provides endless inspiration, companionship, and the kind of grounding only God’s creation can offer.

Whether she’s crafting a tender love story, guiding readers through Scripture, or bringing the Bible to life for children through animal characters, Marie writes with a voice shaped by faith, loss, healing, and the stubborn hope that refuses to let go. Her work reflects the heart of a woman who has walked through fire and come out carrying stories worth telling.

You can also join her for daily devotionals on YouTube at @HeReignsChurch, where she shares encouragement, Scripture, and the steady reminder that hope is still alive. You can contact her by email: church.hereigns@gmail.com. 

Marie’s latest book is Your Ghost: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Echoes That Remain.

Visit her blog at authormariemcgaha.blogspot.com. 

Connect with her on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMarieMcGaha

╰┈➤ LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/mariemcgaha 

Why did you decide to write Your Ghost: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Echoes That Remain? Did the inspiration come at a particular moment or had you been planning to write the book for a while?

I had not planned on writing this book. After my husband of 23 years died, I fell apart. At some point, I began writing my feelings just for my own sake. I was a wrecked and not doing well, and writing has always been how I express myself best, so I wrote down everything. Eventually, I began going over what I had written and decided maybe what I was going through was what other widows go through too, so I began editing and what remained became this book.

From the time you started writing Your Ghost, how long did it take to get it out there? Any obstacles along the way or none that you can think of? 

It's been nearly five years since my husband died, so it's been a process. Grieving isn't linear, it's circular, sideways, pear shaped, all over the place, so the biggest obstacle was my own emotions. Sometimes it was too difficult to continue and I had to stop for days on end before I could continue. Eventually, I finished the book, and the rest was relatively easy.

What are some of the positive results or responses you have received since publishing your book?

So far, reviews have been good, but my hope is that it might help others who are going through the loss of a loved one.

List three interesting facts about your book.

Nathan is the love of my life and always will be.

It ripped my heart out to lose him.

I never want to go through that again.

List three interesting facts about yourself.

I began writing children's books last year and have three published so far.

I have a legless chicken that lives on my porch.

I used to drive big trucks cross-country.

How can our readers reach out to you?

authormariemcgaha.blogspot.com

Email me at hereigns.youtube@gmail.com

Watch me on YouTube @HeReignsChurch

 

 

Book Watch: A Change in Plans by Mike Martin #bookwatch

 

 

Title: A Change in Plans
Author: Mike Martin
Pages: 278
Genre: Mystery

RCMP officer Winston Windflower’s rare afternoon off gets interrupted when a hit and run turns into murder and he must pull together a team of Mounties from Newfoundland to resolve the crime. Following the money and fentanyl— and bodies—Windflower and his team join forces with police officers in southern Ontario to take down an international drug-smuggling ring.

Windflower must face personal doubts and fears when fellow Mountie Fil Romano is kidnapped. While the higher-ups at HQ make plans to give safe passage to the drug lords in return for Romano’s life, Windflower worries Romano will get caught in the crossfire. Windflower again looks to his friends and allies for help in the difficult hours and days ahead. 

Book Details

• Genre: Mystery
• Sub-genre: Cozy Mystery/Police Procedural
• Language: English
• Pages: 278
• Paperback ISBN: TBA

A Change in Plans is available at Amazon.

Summer was nearing its end in the small town of Grand Bank on the eastern shore of Canada. Winston Windflower, husband, father and RCMP officer, was enjoying some quiet time while his wife, Sheila Hillier, and their two girls, Amelia Louise and Stella, were in St. John’s for their annual back-to-school shopping spree. He was alone except for his four-legged friends. Lady, an eight-year-old collie, was still frisky and ready to go for a walk as always. Molly, the cat, was ageless and just about lifeless as she sat in her bed waiting for the next treat to fall in front of her.

It was a fine, sunny day as Windflower looked out of their home onto the Atlantic Ocean. Because it was so nice, he had taken the afternoon off for picking berries. The summer had been unusually hot and sticky, and that meant the berries were out a little earlier than usual. His fervent hope was that his special picking spot had not been disturbed by early pickers trampling down bushes and limiting the harvest.

If things went well, he could pick a gallon of berries in a couple of hours, and if he was super lucky, Sheila would make something fabulous with the blueberries when she got back. Maybe a pie or even one of her blueberry specialties. Windflower salivated when he imagined all of that deliciousness. He grabbed a couple of Tupperware containers and a bottle of water and then headed for his favourite spot.

There was a congregation of berry pickers at the closest picking location, just past the clinic. Bent over, they paid him little attention. He didn’t mind being ignored. The area was too busy and crowded for him. He took the trail down by the brook and then up the hill to the lookout. He paused for a moment to take in the majestic view of Grand Bank. Windflower glanced over the brook to the town and the wharf, all the way to the craggy outcrop that the locals called the Cape. Then he continued on up over the hill and towards the other side.

He veered off the path about halfway down and was very pleased to find his desired location calm and untouched. He said a silent prayer of thanks to Creator and began his task. Some people would have thought of this as work, but Windflower found berry picking both meditative and spiritual. It reconnected him to the land and made him think of his early days growing up on the reserve in Pink Lake, Alberta. His Cree family would all go berry picking for the day, bringing a lunch and a kettle to make tea.

He soon had one container filled and was working on the second when his pocket buzzed. He checked the number on his phone. It was Corporal Samira Gupta, his right-hand assistant, calling from the bigger community of Marystown. He had made arrangements with his boss, Superintendent Ron Quigley, that he would take the job as acting inspector for the region as long as he could stay in Grand Bank and have an assistant in Marystown. Gupta filled her role perfectly.

“What’s up, Corporal?” asked Windflower.

“Sorry to bother you,” said Gupta. “Betsy said you were off. But I thought you should know. We had a hit and run in Marystown. Over near Walmart. A woman in her forties is in hospital. Sergeant Tizzard is on the scene.” Eddie Tizzard was one of Windflower’s long-time friends and co-workers. They’d been working together for the last 10 years in one way or another.

“That’s a dangerous area,” said Windflower. “How is the woman?”

“She was unconscious when they brought her to the hospital in Burin,” said Gupta. “But no other information so far.”

“And the driver?”

“We’re working on it. Tizzard has a team doing interviews from the scene.”

“It’s busy around there. Somebody would have seen something.”

“That was our thinking, too,” Gupta agreed. “If we don’t get anything back soon from the canvass, we’ll do a media hit.”

“Perfect. Keep me posted.”

Now that his reverie had been disrupted, Windflower packed up his stuff and headed back down to his car. He was driving towards home when he noticed the driver of a passing car flashing their headlights at him. He slowed down and pulled over and then went to see if they were okay. As he got closer, he squinted to see Moira Stoodley, co-owner of the Mug-Up Café, the best and only diner in Grand Bank, in the driver’s seat. She was also the wife of his best friend, Herb Stoodley, who was tutoring him in two very diverse subjects—classical music, about which Windflower knew next to nothing before he met Herb, and trout and salmon fishing, which he thought he had mastered but now realized he was only a beginner.

He assumed Moira had stopped him to say hello or to pass along a message from her husband. But it was much more serious.

“I saw Mike Winger, that crazy-looking guy, back on the road,” said Moira. “It looked like his wheelchair had tipped over. A few young fellers were helping him get back up. But he looked in bad shape. Had a cut over his forehead. I asked him if he was okay. He told me to mind my business and went on home. You might want to check in on him.”

It wasn’t exactly his job to look after wandering locals, but it had become expected of the lone police officer in the community. He may have the high and mighty title of acting inspector, but his day job consisted of part-time social worker, youth counsellor and senior companion when he wasn’t solving crimes or directing the limited amount of traffic that Grand Bank produced.

Helping citizens in distress certainly fell into his ‘other related duties’, and Mike Winger seemed to be in constant need of assistance of one kind or another. Mostly of his own doing.

Windflower knew a little about the man from his many interactions with him. Winger was an American and a veteran of the Gulf Wars. After he left the military, he got certified as a refrigeration mechanic and started wandering around, first in the United States and then into Canada. He ended up in the Grand Bank area working for fish plants and discovered a place where nobody really knew him but welcomed him anyway.

Mike Winger finally felt at home. He bought a house and found a girl who eventually moved in.

His life seemed perfect until… the crash that changed his life. His girlfriend was killed instantly as his car slid off the highway to avoid a moose one late spring morning. He was left with one leg paralyzed and the other badly damaged. Stuck with his feeling of loss and grief, he turned to alcohol and then drugs. Then he became mean and isolated. His scooter was his only escape, but even that turned out to be another source of problems.

Windflower had rescued him and the scooter more times than he could remember. From ditches by the side of the road. From a farmer’s field. From the pub, more than once, when he had been asked to leave, none too politely. One time from the cemetery, although Windflower wasn’t exactly sure how that happened. Mike Winger was certainly one of Windflower’s pet irritants in Grand Bank. But since neither of them were going anywhere soon, they had figured out how to survive, if not get along, together.

 

-- Excerpted from A Change in Plans by Mike Martin, Ottawa Press and Publishing, 2026. Reprinted with permission. 

 

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the award-winning author of the best-selling Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 17 books in this light mystery series with the publication of A Change in Plans. 

A Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn won the 2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. All That Glitters was shortlisted for the LOLA 2024 Must Read Book of the year award.

Some Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are now available as audiobooks and the latest Darkest Before the Dawn was released as an audiobook in 2024. All audiobooks are available from Audible in Canada and around the world.

Mike is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild and Capital Crime Writers.

Visit Mike’s website at https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com. 

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore 

╰┈➤ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mike54martin 

 

Character Q&A: Francis Dominguez III of Tucker May's 'The Lemon House Murders' #characterinterview

 

Today's guest is Francis Dominguez III from inside the pages of THE LEMON HOUSE MURDERS by Tucker May.  It is a pleasure to have him with us at The Literary Nook!

What is your name?

My name is Francis Dominguez III. I'm 19 years old. I'm so proud to be named after my father and his father. Both of those men worked hard to better our little community and I can't wait to do the same someday.

What do you look like?  

I think I look okay. I keep myself clean and I dress well. I'm about 5'8" and I'm a little on the skinny side but my dad always tells me that I'll fill out with time. I have very dark brown hair, almost black. Sometimes I think my nose is too big.

Where are you today and what are you doing? 

Just at home. My parents and I live above the church that we run. Today I'll just be taking care of my chores: sweeping out the vestibule, getting things set up for Bible study in the afternoon. Same old stuff, really. Pretty boring.

Describe the outside of your home. 

We live in a small apartment above the nave of the church. The church is called Stonewood. My grandfather built it back in the 1960s. It's not so much to look at. It's got white adobe walls and red-tinged shingles on the roof. There's a big sign out front saying that all are welcome. It's a nice enough place, I guess.

What’s the mood outside right now? 

Things are pretty sleepy around here. It's Wednesday, so at least there's Wednesday service tonight and Bible study in the afternoon to liven things up a bit. Otherwise, it's pretty dead. It's been a hotter fall than usual so I think people aren't doing much outside.

What is your favorite piece of clothing?

 Easy. It's the robe that my father gave me when I turned sixteen -- the vestments that I'll wear when I take over the church someday. Right now it just hangs in the closet mostly. But it signifies the future, you know? The path laid out before me.

What scares you?  

Letting my family down. Failing to carry on the Stonewood legacy. That's been my purpose pretty much from the day I was born and it's very scary to think about maybe messing that up. I have nightmares sometimes.

How would your family describe you?

 I think they'd say good things. My mom would call me handsome, but that's moms, you know? My dad would probably say I can take things more seriously. I think I do. But he's a very stern man. He thinks I'm not focused enough. I'll get there, though. I have to.

What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed at night?

 I say my prayers, of course. It's always good to thank God for the blessings of the day and ask him to smile upon you again tomorrow. Can't slide between the sheets without hitting my knees.

Who is your best friend? 

My mom.

Do you believe the author did a bang up job of portraying you as a character that everyone would love to read about? 

Not really sure why people would want to read about boring old me in the first place, but I hope so.

 

About the Book   

 

A string of mysterious deaths . . . A house full of suspects . . . A secret that will change everything…

When residents of a live-in drug rehabilitation facility called Lemon House start dying one by one, no one in the outside world seems to care.

Two Lemon House patients, nicknamed Trip and Gobstopper, are the only ones who can see the truth: these are murders.

Their quest to find the killer will push their budding relationship to the brink, cast suspicion on everyone locked in the house with them, and force them to question their most cherished beliefs.

The Lemon House Murders is the rare murder mystery that will have you guessing at the culprit AND thinking deeply about theology, society’s relationship toward the downtrodden, and the importance of self-determination to a fulfilling life.

╰┈➤ Read sample here. 

╰┈➤ The Lemon House Murders is available at Amazon.

*****

╰┈➤Book Details

• Genre: Mystery
• Sub-genre: Contemporary American Fiction
• Language:English
• Pages: 329
• ISBN: 978-1969306099

 

About the Author 

Tucker May is a writer of mystery novels, whodunit short stories and all kinds of fun, puzzling tales. Murders, crimes, and mysteries abound. He grew up in Missouri then attended Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He’s a diehard fan of the Los Angeles Rams and Geelong Cats. He lives in Pasadena, CA with his wife Barbara and their cat Principal Spittle. He is the author of The Lemon House Murders and Death of a Billionaire. 

╰┈➤ Visit Tucker’s website at www.tuckermay.com. 

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Tucker-May-Mysteries 

╰┈➤ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TuckerMayMysteries 

╰┈➤ BlueSky: http://www.bluesky.com/TuckerMayMysteries

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58926295.Tucker_May