512: Greg Koren and John Gaspard - New Books for Young and Old

This week we chat with a couple fiction authors who have magicians as the central character in their stories. Greg Koren is up first who talks about his newest book, “The Memory Trap”. The book is directed towards young readers and also for parents to read to their children. The premise of the book is that the central character, Henry Dunne, is about to be suspended from his new middle school for something he didn't do, and the principal's old but beloved car is about to disappear for the last time. Henry and the principal agree to help each other, but these unlikely friends don't realize the deck has been stacked against them, and time is running out. Henry must confront his fears and figure out whom to trust before the sinister force making their lives miserable steps from the shadows to deal the final, crushing blow. In helping to solve this mystery, Henry uses his knowledge of Tamariz’s “Mnemonica” card stack for his “memory palace”.

Greg is a recipient of the Maryland State Teachers Association’s School Bell Award for excellence in education writing, the Associated Press’s Mark Twain award for his feature writing, and six awards from the MDDC Press Association. He is the author of the critically acclaimed one-act play An Arrangement of Convenience, a winner of the Maryland Playwrights Festival, which was produced by the Vagabond Theater in Baltimore in 1989.

Koren fell in love with the imaginative world of middle-grade fiction after becoming a homeschooler and stay-at-home dad for his two children. Currently, he lives with his wife in Baltimore and works as a professional magician and mentalist.

John Gaspard is the author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as two other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles" and "The Ripperologists." He just completed “The Zombie Ball” as the sixth in the Eli Marks mystery series, which he discusses in this week’s podcast. “The Zombie Ball” opens with Eli being asked to perform his magic act at a swanky charity gala, The Zombie Ball– a former zombie pub crawl which has grown into an annual high-class social event. What begins as a typical stage show for Eli turns deadly when two of the evening’s sponsors are found murdered under truly unusual circumstances. Compounding this drama is the presence of Eli’s ex-wife and her new husband, Homicide Detective Fred Hutton. Under pressure to solve the crime before the 800 guests depart, Eli and his detective nemesis go head-to-head to uncover the bizarre clues that will unravel this macabre mystery.

In real life, John Gaspard is not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that’s no small trick. He’s also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget film making. Ironically, they’ve made more than the films. John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.

Time Stamps for this podcast:

00:03:35 - Greg Koren talks about his newest book, “The Memory Trap” about a young man who solves a mystery in his school by using his knowledge of “Mnemonica”, a stacked deck.

00:26:43 - John Gaspard tells us about “Sunday Night Magic”, a live, monthly magic show in Minneapolis. He also talks about his newest, sixth book in the Eli Marks magic detective novel series, “The Zombie Ball”.

00:49:05 - an audio book that is an exclusive available here only for listeners of The Magic Word Podcast. You will only hear it here and it’s absolutely free! Enjoy “The Last Customer” in this 20 minute audio book you will not get anywhere else.

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397: John Gaspard - The Linking Rings, an Eli Marks Mystery

John Gaspard's professional magician (and unassuming detective), Eli Marks, is at it again solving crimes while spinning his own web of mystery for his audiences during his visit to The Magic Circle in London, England. Here is a quick overview:

Eli's trip to London with his uncle Harry quickly turns homicidal when the older magician finds himself accused of murder.

A second slaying does little to take the spotlight off Harry. Instead it's clear someone is knocking off Harry's elderly peers in bizarrely effective ways. But who?

The odd gets odder when the prime suspect appears to be a bitter performer with a grudge...who committed suicide over thirty years before.

While Eli struggles to prove his uncle's innocence—and keep them both alive—he finds himself embroiled in a battle of his own: a favorite magic routine of his has been ripped off by another hugely popular magician.

What began as a whirlwind vacation to London with girlfriend Megan turns into a fatal and larcenous trip into the dark heart of magic within the city's oldest magic society, The Magic Circle.

This is the fourth in the Eli Marks series and though it does feature a magician as the central character, it is written for the mystery lover, and not for the magician. John Gaspard is featured in this podcast because although it is related to magic and of interest to magicians, it is not another "how to" book of tricks.

During this podcast, there is a clip from Chapter One read by Jim Cunningham. The full audio is 30 minutes long and will be available from Audible.com in mid-2018. In the meantime and for a taste of the suspenseful novel, Click Here to read the full first chapter.

Get your FREE copy of this short story, "The Invisible Assistant" by John Gaspard at: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/jj1r1yaavj

The winners may choose to receive a copy of "The Linking Rings" or, if you prefer, you may request to receive any one of the other Eli Marks mystery novels.

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#195 - The Bullet Catch - The Second Eli Marks Mystery Novel

If David Copperfield and Sherlock Holmes had a love child, then it would be Eli Marks.

I am excited that John Gaspard has published this second book in the Eli Marks mystery series. Although magicians will undoubtedly find this book of interest, it's market is really for the masses of mystery book aficionados. I spoke with John on The Magic Word earlier this year about his first book, The Ambitious Card, which sold well enough for his publisher, Henery Press, to request another which officially makes this a "series". According to the brief description on Amazon;

Newly-single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush’s husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim’s business associates.

At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations -- while saving his own neck -- may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.

You can pre-order the book now from Amazon or wait until after its release on November 4, 2014 when it will also be available from Barnes & Noble. The Bullet Catch will have its official launch on Wednesday November 5, 2014 at Once Upon a Crime bookstore, 604 West 26th Street, Minneapolis, MN beginning at 7:00 p.m. Also appearing will be Suzanne the Magician, (winner Academy of Magical Arts Close-Up Magician of the Year) who will perform close-up in the book store.

John said that book tours aren't what they used to be. No longer do authors travel the country from book store to book store signing books. In this age of e-commerce, they usually have book signings closer to their homes but responding to the masses through blogs, tweets, Reddit events and podcasts. But some of the reviews are in from those who have had a sneak peak.

“The Bullet Catch is a wonderfully engaging, delightfully tricky bit of mystery. Fans of magic will delight in John Gaspard’s artful use of the world of magicians, onstage and offstage. It’s a great story and great fun!” – Jim Steinmeyer, Author of Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear

“Gaspard's latest Eli Marks mystery, The Bullet Catch, has as many tricks up its sleeve as its likeable magician-hero. As the body count rises, so does the reading pleasure.” – Dennis Palumbo, Author of the Daniel Rinaldi Mystery Series and Co-Writer of My Favorite Year

“The Bullet Catch is a real winner of magical proportions. Filled with snappy, delightful dialogue and plenty of sleight-of-hand humor, Gaspard's latest mystery in the Eli Marks series does not disappoint. Head to the bookstore and get yourself a copy now!” – Jessie Chandler, Author of the Award-Winning Shay O’Hanlon Series

“The author does a fantastic job juggling the separate plots and keeping readers’ minds thoroughly engaged…The relationships between Eli and his remarried ex are interesting, to say the least, and the pure entertainment of the industry will leave all readers hoping that there will be a ‘number three’ very soon.” – Suspense Magazine

“The Bullet Catch has a quick pace and dialogue that engages the reader from the first page…Gaspard has written a great character into an original storyline…I will definitely be seeing/reading more of Eli as Gaspard expands this promising mystery series.” – Examiner.com

“Readers, get ready for your mind to expand as Eli Marks returns and uses his powers of prestidigitation, intuition and deduction to solve another mystery. If David Copperfield and Sherlock Holmes had a child, it would be Eli Marks.” – Scott Wells, The Magic Word Podcast

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