VBT: Murder In Rock & Roll Heaven by Robin Ray

Murder In Rock & Roll Heaven

by Robin Ray

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GENRE:   Mystery/Sci-Fi

BLURB:

No one ever "re-dies" in Heaven; unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to singer Amy Winehouse. Her death, an unprecedented event in Heaven's history, has thrown a once docile world into unfortunate chaos. Because of the new uneasy alliance between angels and citizens, a freshly-arrived detective in the rock & roll town has been tasked with investigating the prime suspects, the members of the 27 Club - Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. To make matters worse, a powerful angel from one of the upper levels of Heaven will soon arrive to make her ten-year inspection, a task that fills the other angels with dread since she has the power to banish anyone of them to the underworld. So, with time running out, the PI and his newly acquired sidekick, both aided by rock legends such as Eddie Cochran, Mama Cass, Kurt Cobain, Karen Carpenter and others, must quickly uncover the mystery that threatens not only to close Heaven’s doors forever, but promises to send a ripple effect through the entire universe that can rip it apart.

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Excerpt Two:

5:15 PM and still no Jim Douglas Morrison. The bearded singer of ‘Five to One’ was keeping his company of three waiting: Gregory pacing back and forth in front of the window, Tony spinning around on a padded, reclining office chair pretending to understand what he was reading from the law book opened in his hands, and the polygraph monitor, Eric Witherspoon, himself a past bassist in a bar band from Nebraska and former student of the angel D’Ariel. Eric, the recent consumer of four slices of 6-cheese pizzas, three stuffed cheesy breads, one piece of chocolate cake and a giant-sized cup of organic, craft brewed root beer, was comfortably sleeping with folded arms in his reclined chair. Completely forgetting he was with company, he twisted to one side, eased off his butt, and made a fart sound so loud and wet he’d better check his drawers, like, immediately. Gregory opened the window to spare himself the pleasure of the cheese-inspired wind. Just then, Jim came staggering into the office, his pants wet from who knows what, his shirt disheveled, and a road sign in his hand. Instinctively, the PI and Tony helped him sit in a chair before he collapsed on the floor.

“Before you fellas start lecturing me,” Jim managed to spit out, albeit slurred, “just know I have a history of being fashionably late.”

“What is this?” Gregory asked, pointing to the road sign as the examiner woke up.

“What?” the confused singer asked then look down and noticed the wooden item.

“Who gave this to me?” he asked, stunned. Nevertheless, he read the sign:

Jupiter Barbers – Luxury Styles

“Anybody want a haircut?” he laughed. Not amused, Gregory wrestled the sign from the singer and placed in on the desk. “Come here and give me some love,” Jim beckoned the small gathering, outstretching his arms for an embrace; when no one accepted his offer, crestfallen, he folded them across his chest. “You guys are chumps,” he groaned. “I want my money back.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Robin Ray emigrated to the U.S. from Trinidad & Tobago at the ripe old age of 12. Already steeped in the rich culture and mysteries of his native land, it would only be a matter of time before he, too, became a musician and storyteller. After a short stint at Iowa State University, he became a nurse for practical purposes but never abandoned his musical and literary aspirations. Eventually, he did play guitar in several bands, committing himself to localized tours and album releases. Leaving the music world behind, he delved headfirst back into his second love - writing. To date, he has authored six screenplays, two novels, seven novellas, around fifty short stories and many poems. Thus far, he’s published six books - five fiction and one non-fiction, all available in paperback and e-book formats. His latest novel, Murder In Rock & Roll Heaven, can be purchased from the following Amazon link.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Rock-Roll-Heaven-Robin/dp/1520167296/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500853047&sr=8-1&keywords=murder+in+rock+%26+roll+heaven

https://seattlewordsmith.wordpress.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1720363.Robin_Ray

INTERVIEW with Robin Ray

1. What is your favorite part of this book and why?

Near the beginning, when the detectives first arrived in Heaven, they had to go through an orientation seminar with recently expired musicians and music-related professionals. That meant we got to hear people like David Bowie, Glenn Frey, George Martin and Prince speak. Just having a few deceased legends in one room was an interesting concept, especially since the new arrivals had no clue what the place was going to look like. In the seminar, the angels also explained how items are bought and sold with credits as money didn’t exist in the netherworld. The whole idea of a money-less system required a lot of research, exposing me to various barter and alternate systems used around the world in current and older times. The angels also had a chance to explain some of the more difficult scientific concepts that allowed Heaven, the soul, karma, and even themselves to exist. This also required a lot of research, in the field of quantum physics, no less!

2. If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

I’d like to hang out with Jimi Hendrix. He’s not the type of character that would challenge you unnecessarily or give you a hard time. In other words, he’s as laid back as they come. Also, in the book, after being a musician for such a long time, he stopped and branched off into different fields like being a chef and working in the energy dept. I would learn a lot from him culinary-wise since that is also a strong interest of mine. Plus, me also being a musician, maybe I’d be able to pick his brain enough to learn how he accomplished some of those guitar pyrotechnics he did.

3. If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?

I wish I’d written Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle.” When I was younger, that book hit me like a ton of bricks. Not merely a book, it exposed the atrocities in the Chicago meat packing industry such that changes were enacted. Some books, like some movies, do have the power to enact change and not merely entertain, so if I’d written a book that does both, I’d say I’ve been a success.

4. Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Most of the characters were modeled after real people. Det. Gregory Angelicus’s personality was borrowed from Will Smith’s. His sidekick, Tony Lopez, was culled from looking at interviews and listening to the music of Bruno Mars. The past rock stars speak for themselves. As far as the angels were concerned, I thought they should me immaculate in and out, so they weren’t based on any one specific individual; Spock, maybe, because he’s stoic, but that’s a stretch.

5. What made you want to become a writer?

About four years ago, after my music and nursing career ended, I had to do something. If I didn’t, the streets would continually shout my name and I would end up out there chasing ghosts till I got locked up. Writing definitely helps me pass the time. When I finally type “The End” on a novel, I get depressed, so even though I’ve promised myself, in the past, that I would take a break between literary works, I always find myself jumping head first right back into writing the very next day. Given my history of depression, I no longer take breaks. By the time a book is near completion, I like to get another one started right away. Right now, as we speak, I’m putting the finishing touches on “Obey the Darkness: Horror Stories.” I figure I should be done in about two weeks. Recently, I’d been giving much thought to my post-”Obey” work and I think I’ll write a children’s fiction book called “My Dad Is Bipolar.” I’ve already started doing the research on that one, too. Thanks for reading.

The book is on sale for only $0.99.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Robin Ray will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway