T's Stuff: The Queen of Diamonds The Red Dog Conspiracy, Book 2 by Patricia Loofbourrow

Saturday, April 21, 2018

The Queen of Diamonds The Red Dog Conspiracy, Book 2 by Patricia Loofbourrow

Author: Patricia Loofbourrow

Narrator: Machelle Williams

Length: 7 hours 51 minutes

Series: The Red Dog Conspiracy, Book 2

Publisher: Red Dog Press, LLC

Genre: Noir Mystery, Steampunk Crime Fiction

No one is as they seem....

While the villain Frank Pagliacci has been defeated, all is not well in Bridges. The Four Families accuse each other of spying while Red Dog attacks escalate. Aristocratic jewel merchant Dame Anastasia Louis, styling herself "The Queen of Diamonds", hires her long-time friend, private eye Jacqueline Spadros, to collect from her debtors so she can leave the city.

But Jacqui can't leave David Bryce's kidnapping and the murders of her teenage informants unpunished. Convinced that her mortal enemy, the madman "Black Jack" Diamond, was complicit in the crimes, she pursues ways to prove it. The scoundrel and his crew, however, seem to be one step ahead: the terrifying man in white is seen outside David's home, forged letters are appearing across the city, and merchants in the Spadros quadrant report threats from a man who fits his description.

Jacqui is warned of a plot against her life. Those who try to warn Jacqui are murdered, and evidence emerges that Jacqui's mother is next on the list. With time running out, Jacqui is forced to make a horrifying choice.

Someone will surely die. Will it be Jacqui, or her mother?

Patricia Loofbourrow, MD is a NY Times and USA Today best-selling science fiction writer, PC gamer, ornamental food gardener, fiber artist, and wildcrafter who loves power tools, dancing, genetics and anything to do with outer space. She was born in southern California and has lived in Chicago and Tokyo. She currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three grown children.

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As an audiobook narrator with 23 years of experience moving audiences with her voice through corporate facilitation and public speaking, Machelle knows how to connect with the intent of the author to bring their vision to life. Her compelling yet casual voice draws the listener close, transporting them deep into the story and keeping them hanging on every word with full attention and anticipation.

Machelle’s voice is nuanced and delivers reads that range from soft and soothing to dramatic and smoky. She specializes in Mysteries & Thrillers, but her Bespoke repertoire also includes Non-Fiction, Religious, Urban and Noire.

Machelle is based in Northern Virginia with her two Boston Terriers, Daphne and Lilah, and her fully equipped studio from which she provides quick turn-around of professional quality recordings.

When you need a narrator to take your listener to the edge of their seat and their breath away – trust the telling to Machelle.

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Patricia Loofbourrow's Top 10 Literary Inspirations

Laura Ingalls Wilder - especially the Little Women series. I could really relate to her stories as a child. I think Jacqui is a good bit like Jo Marsh in her determination to do what she feels is right.
Iliad and Odyssey - the great Greek tragedy adventures
Charles Dickens - he told it like it was! I love the way he weaved social justice into his stories without being (too) melodramatic or preachy (for his time)
Isaac Asimov - loved his tales of robots, other worlds and civilizations
Robert Heinlein - read him a lot as a kid, and his stories gave me an interest in science fiction - Podkayne of Mars made me feel girls could be in science fiction adventures too (read the original version though)
Poet David Whyte showed me how words can touch a person
JRR Tolkien - amazing, all-out worldbuilding - a man who devoted his life to telling a story
I’ve learned a lot from reading Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files - how to write a series especially
George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is one of my favorites - gritty, uncompromising multi-faction political intrigue on a massive scale.
Frank Herbert’s Dune series (his writings, not the prequels) have influenced me the most. Every time I read this series I learn more, and I’m so impressed with his depth of worldbuilding and the emotional impact he gets with just a few words.