Event at Palos Verdes, CA, Library

 Jeri Fonté would like to invite SWM and Surfwriters to an

In-Person Meeting, at the Palos Verdes Library,

Saturday, June. 3, 2023 at 2 to 4PM

Open to all, bring your writer friends

   Our guest speaker will be Mike Befeler 

 

Mike Befeler will give a presentation titled, "Lessons Learned as an Author," about his experiences starting to write later in life. He will also discuss his latest mystery novel, "Old Detectives Home."

   Imagine a retirement home populated with residents such as an aging Hercule Poirot and a dementia-suffering Sherlock Holmes and run by staff including Art Doyle, Dash Hammett and Dot Sayers. In this light-hearted spoof of the mystery genre, every character is either a namesake of a person from the mystery writing world or a character from a mystery novel. On anything but a dark and stormy night, a dead body is found. The staff managers find themselves unable to control the unruly old detectives. Mix in clues and red herrings galore as the cast of suspects investigate each other. Hold on to your rockers as the top detectives of all time reunite at Old Detectives Home to solve their most difficult whodunit—but first without killing each other.

Mike Befeler is the author of nineteen books including six novels in the Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series ("Retirement Homes Are Murder," "Living with Your Kids Is Murder," "Senior Moments Are Murder," "Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder," "Care Homes Are Murder," "Nursing Homes Are Murder"), two of which were finalist for The Lefty Award for best humorous mystery. He has ten other published mystery novels: "Old Detectives Home," "Unstuff Your Stuff," "Death of a Scam Artist," "The V V Agency," "The Back Wing," "The Front Wing," "The Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse," "Murder on the Switzerland Trail," "Court Trouble and Paradise Court"; an international thriller, "The Tesla Legacy"; a non-fiction book, "The Best Chicken Thief in All of Europe"; and a novella, "Coronavirus Daze."  He’s past-president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and now lives in Lakewood, California, with his wife, Wendy.

 

His Web Site:

Mike Befeler www.mikebefeler.com

Hip Replacement Surgery

I’m scheduled for hip replacement surgery in two weeks. In preparation, I have five appointments: a CT scan, pre-op with my surgeon, pre-op with my primary care physician, a hip replacement class at the hospital and a phone call from a nurse to collect info. Quite a process.

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

Last Saturday I had an enjoyable afternoon signing books in the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime booths at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. It was an opportunity to speak with readers as well as author friends. Picture below is signing with Tori Eldridge and Sherri Leigh James.

Lessons Learned as an Author

Last Saturday I gave my presentation titled, Lessons Learned as an Author, to a book club I belong to in Lakewood, CA. I’m scheduled to give this presentation to Southwestern Manuscripters on Saturday, June 3 from 2 to 4 PM at the Palos Verdes Library Community Room, 701 Silver Spur Road, Palos Verdes, CA.

Fourteenth Anniversary of the Publication of Living with Your Kids Is Murder

Today is the fourteenth anniversary of the release of my second book in the Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series, Living with Your Kids Is Murder. In this humorous amateur sleuth novel, cantankerous octogenarian Paul Jacobson must solve two murders while struggling with the problems of his short-term memory loss. As Paul ends up suspiciously close to a bank robbery, kidnapping and drug bust, his granddaughter Jennifer helps him track down the real perpetrators. Paul juggles two girlfriends, experiences the quirks of old age romance and must find a way to stay alive when he confronts a murderer.

I’m available to give presentations to service organizations, libraries and book clubs.

What others have to say about Living with Your Kids Is Murder:

“It's hard to beat a team that includes a wisecracking old fart and a straight-talking young sprout, and Befeler's second geezer-lit entry delivers.”—Kirkus Review

“Cleverly plotted.” —Publishers Weekly

Living with Your Kids Is Murder was a finalist for The Lefty Award for best humorous mystery of 2009.

Living with Your Kids Is Murder is available in print, e-book and audio book editions:

Print: Amazon.com: Living With Your Kids is Murder (2) (Paul Jacobson Geezer-Lit Mystery): 9781893035867: Befeler, Mike: Books

e-book: Living With Your Kids Is Murder (Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series Book 2) - Kindle edition by Befeler, Mike. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

e-book box set first four books of Paul Jacobson series: Box Set: Retirement Homes Are Murder, Living with Your Kids Is Murder, Senior Moments Are Murder, Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder (Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series Book 1) - Kindle edition by Befeler, Mike. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Audio book: Amazon.com: Living with Your Kids is Murder: A Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery, Book 2 (Audible Audio Edition): Mike Befeler, Jerry Sciarrio, Books in Motion: Audible Books & Originals

 

http://www.mikebefeler.com

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

On Saturday April 22, I’ll be at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on the USC Campus signing books from 2-3 PM in the Mystery Writers of America booth 363 and from 4-6 PM in the Sisters in Crime booth 360.

Update on Writers Critique Group

The writers critique group I’ve joined has now started. We’ve sent our first submission to other members and will meet next week to discuss our works. There are four of us, two of whom I’ve known before. I look forward to the comments from the other writers.