I’ll be attending the Left Coast Crime Conference in Bellevue, WA, in April. In addition to moderating the Meet the New Author Breakfast, participating in Author Speed Dating and being on a senior sleuth panel, I’ll be co-hosting a table at the Saturday night banquet with fellow author Bruce Rolfe.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Release of Three New Audiobooks
I have three audio books that have been released: Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse, The V V Agency, and Coronavirus Daze.
Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse on Amazon
The V V Agency on Amazon Amazon.com: The V V Agency (Audible Audio Edition): Mike Befeler, Independently Published, Virtual Voice: Books
Coronavirus Daze on Amazon
In Mystery
of the Dinner Playhouse a staged murder at a mystery dinner playhouse turns
into a real poisoning death. Recently retired detective, Gabe Tremont, is
called back to solve the crime, while struggling to figure out how to
successfully retire. He discovers the playhouse director, the cast members and
a spy from a competing theater all have reasons to want the victim dead. This
book also deals with the topic of hoarding.
Imagine a dash of Philip Marlowe wrapped in an urban fantasy. The V V Agency is a paranormal mystery that spoofs the
PI subgenre and introduces the transvictus—a unique shape shifter. Van and
Vanna run a detective agency, but clients never see them together for a simple reason.
A sexual encounter transforms one into the other, and nudity renders them invisible.
This presents some interesting dilemmas for his and her love lives, but gives them
a distinct advantage when doing detective work. Van and Vanna take the case of
a woman suspected of killing her husband.
Coronavirus Daze is an uplifting and
humorous story about a boy keeping a journal during the Coronavirus outbreak. Tad, a
middle school student in Southern California, must deal with the boredom of
being stuck at home with his parents during the Coronavirus pandemic and has a
life transforming experience when he makes an unexpected discovery. Readers may
shed a tear and will certainly have some chuckles as Tad recounts his
adventures in a time of chaos and uncertainty.
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Author Speed Dating at the Left Coast Crime Conference
I’ll be participating in the Author Speed Dating at the Left Coast Crime Conference in April. This is an enjoyable event where I will be speaking to 18 tables of mystery readers along with fellow author Tony Ollivier. At each table, we each will give a two-minute pitch about our latest mystery novels. Then we move on to the next table. It’s an excellent way to reach new readers. I’ve also found that by the end, we could give each other’s presentation. I always hand out postcards of my books as well.
Thursday, March 7, 2024
Publication of Murder in the Museo Kircheriano
My historical mystery novel, Murder in the Museo Kircheriano, is now available.
Print Amazon: Amazon.com: Murder in the Museo Kircheriano: 9781941271575:
Befeler, Mike: Books
Or contact your favorite bookstore.
I’m available to give presentations to book groups, libraries and service organizations via Zoom or in-person. Mikebef@aol.com
I’ll be presenting and signing at Mystery Ink Bookstore Fernhill
Clubhouse 5472 Diamond Dr, Huntington Beach, CA on Sat., May 4, at 1 PM. and Book Carnival 348 S. Tustin,
Orange, CA, on Sat. April 27 at 2 PM
In Murder in the Museo Kircheriano Jesuit
priest Athanasius Kircher created the world’s most amazing museum in the mid
seventeenth century Vatican. He was brilliant and reputed to be the last man to
know everything. He also bordered on being a con man.
When Queen Christina abdicates her throne in Sweden,
converts to Catholicism and visits Kircher’s museum, she and Kircher discover a
dead body. They team up to solve the mystery of the murdered man, while
encountering a secret nephews circle.
Thursday, February 29, 2024
Postcards
When one of my new books is published, I always have postcards made with the cover art on one side and information about the book on the other side. I provide the text, and my daughter-in-law who is a terrific graphic artist designs the postcard. Then I have the postcards printed. I have a snail mail list that I send the postcards to, and I give them out at conferences such as the Left Coast Crime Conference and other events. I have Murder in the Museo Kircheriano being published in March, and A Mystery Yarn being published in April. The postcards have been printed and are on their way to me.
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Pre-order for A Mystery Yarn
The third book in my Omnipodge Trilogy, A Mystery Yarn, following Old Detectives Home and Last Gasp Motel, will be published by Encircle Publications on April 24 and can now be pre-ordered.
Print Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Gasp-Motel-Omnipodge-Mystery/dp/1645994724
Print Barnes and Noble: A Mystery Yarn by Mike Befeler, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
(barnesandnoble.com)
Or contact your favorite bookstore.
I’m available to give
presentations to book groups, libraries and service organizations via Zoom or
in-person. Mikebef@aol.com
In A Mystery Yarn, while
making the rounds to visit her fellow shopkeepers in Ominpodge Village Center,
Pru Pendergast overhears an argument between her obnoxious landlord, Bart
Cunard, and Sally Midge Cunard, Bart's ex-wife, during which Sally Midge
accuses Bart of being involved in shady real estate dealings with developer
Larry Ludwick. Pru also hears jewelry shopkeeper Jake Yalley defend Sally Midge
and threaten Bart.
When Pru visits Flo
Florrest's yarn shop, Bart comes in and gets into a shouting match with Flo.
Pru next goes to Bea Potter's bookstore and listens to Bea complain about Bart
sexually harassing her. Then Pru has lunch with best friend Herb Hanover-of Herb's
Herbs-and he cries about Bart calling him hateful names while Herb is still
sensitive over his partner's death.
Pru returns to her shop,
Driftwood Creatives, to find Bart dead, garroted with driftwood handles and
brown Vicuna yarn. She also notices that Bart's diamond ring is missing from
his hand. Because his body is found in her shop, Detective James Moriarty immediately
questions Pru and accuses her of murder, but she's certainly not the only
suspect. Pru must escape attacks on her own life and avoid being arrested until
she can find the real killer and solve the crime, all while trying to catch the
eye of her new sort of boyfriend.
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Senior Sleuth Panel at LCC2024
I will be on a senior sleuth panel at the Left Coast Crime Conference on Saturday, April 13 at 4 pm in Belleview, WA. Other panelists are Paula Charles, Ellen Kirschman, Susan McCormick and moderator Arthur Cohen. I’ve had the pleasure of being on panels with Ellen and Susan before. I will also be moderating the Meet the New Author Breakfast on Friday, April 12 at which Paula and Arthur will be presenting. Senior sleuths are a major part of my mystery writing since the majority of my mystery novels feature older amateur sleuths.