Jay Mims-- The Softer Approach-- Dan Landis series.

Hey again, everyone. Please welcome for the first time to Read Between the Lines, Jay Mims, author of Five Santas and The Cult of Koo Kway.

If you love detective stories with a quirky detective, be sure to check out the series!

The Softer Approach

Hello Gentle Readers,

I really appreciate Jessie allowing me to stop by the blog and chat for a bit. See, I’m doing this blog hop I’m calling “Christmas in July”. It’s been a lot of fun, and today we’re on the Seventh Day of Mimsey. And I’d like to talk to you about taking the soft approach to murder.

See, I write murder mysteries about a cynical, sarcastic, womanizing private investigator named Dan Landis. And he’s quick with a joke or to light up your smoke. But there’s someplace that he’d rather be. Wait, no that’s “Piano Man”.

My point is, I have a classic hardboiled detective. But, I write cozy mysteries, which are more along the lines of Agatha Christie or Murder, She Wrote.

It’s an unusual take, I realize, to marry the fluffy with the hard, sweet and sour. But, I think what works for this type of storytelling is that you understand why your character is who he is. See, Dan Landis lost his partner Maggie to a mugging gone wrong, and he’s been heartbroken ever since. It’s actually one of the main themes of the story, Dan’s unwillingness to let go of Maggie, and inability to let others in.

And along comes Abbey. She’s a bright ray of sunshine in Dan’s life, and through the course of the first two books becomes Dan’s partner. She puts a soft touch around his harder edges, and I think the readers will enjoy seeing the gradual growth of Dan from hard cynic to sincere guy.

Plus, HK Savage says “Sincere Dan is a panty-dropper.”

So, you’ve got that to look forward to as well.

Here’s the blurb for the books.

The Five Santas

Dan Landis is slumming it as a security guard at a department store. The money’s nice, but he also made sure Abbey has a job in the gift wrapping department. Dan chases a thief into the alleyway, only to discover the body of Santa Claus stuffed behind a dumpster. One body leads to another, and pretty soon Dan’s up to his ears in Yule Tide murder. He’s hired to protect the department store Santa, who appears to be more then meets the eye, but as the bodies keep piling up, Dan begins to smell something rotten in Denmark. Abbey being arrested might have something to do with that.

Open Book Society says “The author, Jay Mims, offers the reader a charming protagonist, whose wittiness defends against the violence surrounding him.”

Author Elizabeth Seckman says, “If you miss Moonlighting with Bruce Willis, you'll want to meet Dan Landis.”

And Jean The Book Nerd says, “Mims has provided us a great holiday/murder mystery story that is surely appreciated.”

Cult of Koo Kway

Dan Landis is back! There’s a body in the kitchen, someone trying to kill him, and a blonde about to be mugged. Picking up where The Five Santas left off, Dan and company are in hot pursuit of a six foot tall cowboy named Tex. But, things get complicated when Mama Landis’ favorite son discovers the body of his best friend in his kitchen. The mysterious Cult of Koo Kway is out to get Dan, and it’s up to everyone’s favorite detective and his new partner Abbey to save the day.

Jean The Book Nerd calls Cult of Koo Kway “An amazing fast-paced mystery book that will have readers on the edge of their seats..”

Author Donna Milward says “The action never seems to stop. How can you go wrong when you start with fuzzy handcuffs?  “

And Author Elizabeth Seckman says, “I love Dan. He's a little bit rotten, but a whole lot adorable.”

And stay tuned for the excitement of The Gray Ghost Inn due out October 15^th, 2013.

Dan, Abbey and their friend Professor Leroy “Doc” Brown are off to Warrenton, Virginia, where they are going to visit the bed and breakfast The Gray Ghost Inn. But, wherever Dan and Abbey go, trouble isn’t too far behind. There’s a body in the library, a house full of suspects, and only one reluctant detective who can solve the case before the killer strikes again.

Want to read Jay Mims’ books? You’re in luck, because we’re giving away presents this Christmas in July! Enter to win one of five FABULOUS PRIZES!

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Jay Mims can sing all the lyrics to “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, and has never learned to play the piano. He lives with a passive-aggressive Dalek named Steve, a lizard named Bob, and is regularly visited by a cat he calls Eartha Kitty. He writes books and is far funnier on Facebook then in real life. He is terrible at Twitter. His next book "The Gray Ghost Inn" is due out October 15, 2013. Feel free to email him here. For a regular dose of Mimsey, check out his blog.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5179719.Jay_Mims
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Five-Santas-Oncoming-Series/dp/098393410X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1372865648&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cult-Koo-Kway-Mims/dp/0983934142/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-five-santas-jay-mims/1104988019?ean=9780983934103
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cult-of-koo-kway-jay-mims/1112781489?ean=9780983934141
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JayMims
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JayMimsey
Blog: http://themimsey.blogspot.com
Twitter: @JayMimsey