VBT: Hand Over Fist by Michael Ross

Hand Over Fist

by Michael Ross

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GENRE: Thriller

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BLURB:

When an old friend disappears, Martin learns nothing is what it seems…

Martin Russell can barely face the future. With dismal life prospects and an estranged family, he is at the end of his rope. When an old friend, Hannah, elbows her way back into his life, Martin’s luck begins to turn around.

Hidden within the shadows of evil, there must be some good…

Ex-policeman Bobby Tanner lost everything one rage-filled night. Now he runs a reading group for alcoholics where he meets a young drug dealer, Zack, who disturbs him in a way that’s hard to define. Bobby soon discovers the teenager is in over his head and has been dealing with a despicable individual known as The Chemist.

The roots of evil run deeper than we imagine…

Martin’s lucky streak begins to unravel when Hannah suddenly goes missing, and he turns to a friend of a friend, Bobby, for help. Thrust into an underworld empire of corruption and half-truths, he learns his friend may not be who he thought she was.

In a shadowed world of deception, stalkers, and despicable drug dealers, Bobby and Martin must uncover the truth, and fast…

Several lives depend on it.

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Excerpt Seven:

At three minutes past nine, Bobby pulled up outside the Jacksons’ house where Zack was sitting waiting on the doorstep. Zack jumped up, walked briskly over to the car, and slid inside.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Bobby was pleased that Zack did not want his mother to know about their arrangement. He was not going to make it easy for Zack. He liked the lad, but drug dealers were the scum of the earth.

“Hang on, where’s the envelope?”

Zack rolled his eyes and passed over a wad of notes held together by a rubber band. While Bobby counted the money, Zack kept glancing up to his mother’s bedroom window. Bobby carefully wound the band around the notes again and turned slowly to face the boy.

“Zack, you obviously take me for an idiot. Have the money back and the best of luck!”

With that, he turned the ignition key of the Fiesta. The ex-copper had caught Zack off guard.

“Wha…wha…what d’you mean?”

“Zack, we both know this is not all of it. Forget it. You’ve made your bed.”

He pushed the gear stick into first. It had the desired effect.

“All right, all right. Wait there. No. Go around the block once, and I’ll bring you the rest. All of it.”

Bobby nodded and put the car into gear. It was a double bluff that had paid off. Firstly, he had no idea if there was any more money, and secondly, he wasn’t even sure if the Fiesta was going to start again when he turned the key. The car really was a piece of shit. By the time he had driven round the block, Zack was already walking down the street towards him out of sight of his mother’s window.

“Here we are. That’s everything.”

Bobby pulled over, started counting and gave a low whistle.

“That’s more like it! Fourteen hundred pounds! Let’s go. We should get something decent for me for that.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

It was a strange and twisting road that led to the publication of my first novel. From my humble beginnings, as an office clerk, to ownership of a multi-million dollar business I always maintained my love for literature.

Born and raised in Bristol, England. I spent most of my life in business, my companies turning over in the region of $500 million. The majority of that time marketing cars, eventually owning the largest Saab specialist in the world, before a bitter divorce forced me rethink my priorities. Particularly between 2003 and 2005 when I had to accept that I was no longer a millionaire but literally penniless. I avoided bankruptcy by the skin of my teeth and slowly rebuilt my life.

This led me to the life changing decision to leave the bustling city and move to live halfway up a mountain in the Welsh valleys. At the same time I started a part time six year English Literature course at Bristol University, and attended creative writing classes at Cardiff University. I left school at sixteen and this was my first taste of further education and an immense challenge.

I eventually adjusted my thinking to the academic life, and on 30 June 2015 had confirmation of my 2.1(Hons) degree from Bristol University. At the same time I also won the prestigious Hopkins Prize for my essay on Virginia Woolf and the unsaid within her text. Now the university courses are finished it will, with any luck, gives me plenty of extra time that I can devote to my fiction writing.

Thanks to the university experiences, my interest in English literature has flourished over recent years. Hopefully I have evolved as a writer from my earlier work in short stories (over ninety of them.) Although interestingly my first three novels have all been developed from a long forgotten short story.

Life is, once again, very good, and I live very happily halfway up a mountain, in the Welsh Valleys, with my wonderful partner Mari, and our rescue dog Wolfie.

Facebook     www.facebook.com/michaelross.writer

Twitter         @mikerosswriter

Website        www.michaelrosswriter.com

Blog             http://mikerosswriter.wordpress.com. 

Goodreads    Mike Ross

Interview with Michael Ross

As a kid did you write or make up stories?

No, not really, that started when my children were small, and all four loved me making up stories for them

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Where does most of your Character inspiration come from?

Much, maybe too much, from personal experience, but I think the time I spent working with a charity helping individuals recover from troubles caused by drug and alcohol abuse opened my mind and blew the bigotry away.

Do some qualities of your characters come from real people?

I would say 90% of the qualities and the flaws of my characters come very much from personal experience.

What was the inspiration for your book?

Part of my personal history, I went from being a millionaire to being insolvent within eighteen months. Sixteen years later I still have demons to be slain via my writing.

What is your favorite spot to write?

I have a lovely self contained room at the top of the house. (I am very lucky.)

What advice would you give budding writers?

Read as much as you possibly can, never force yourself and never write just to make money.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Michael will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway