03-08-2011, 02:48 PM | #1 |
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Rock & Roll Rip-Off - 2010 Mystery of the Year
Rock & Roll Rip-Off, the second novel in my Rock & Roll Mystery Series, was selected 2010 Mystery/Thriller of the Year by Premier Book Awards. A letter that accompanied the award stated: "The competition was fierce and it was a difficult decision choosing from so many deserving books entered into this year's contest. However, the judges were unanimous in their selection of Rock & Roll Rip-Off as the winner."
Following is a brief description: Jason Duffy thought he had accepted a routine burglary case when a career studio musician hired him to recover a memorabilia collection featuring unusual treasures from some of the top performers in the music industry. But Jason quickly finds himself at the top of a hit list that has nothing to do with The Top 40 and everything to do with a table for one at the San Diego Coroner’s Office. While the facts of the case point to an emo band that the victim was helping at the time of the theft, the lethal force that Jason encounters in his investigation feels more like death metal. He finds himself imperiled by a hitman known as The Heartbreaker, due to his signature of shooting his victims through the heart at close range. With danger also threatening his staff and girlfriend, Jason must continue to mend fences with his retired police detective father, in spite of a recent riff that caused a major setback to their relationship. Everyone thought The Tactile Tattoo was a “can’t miss” band. The pre-release buzz for their first CD was tremendous. But a bad review from a key industry critic, who didn’t care for their lyrics, left the album stillborn at record stores across the country. The group soon learned that second chances in the current state of the music business are practically nonexistent. One band member discovered that money talks in an industry strapped for cash, and a bribe was entirely possible. However, funding that bribe meant getting involved with all of the wrong people. In the midst of this action whodunit, the reader is treated to an insider’s view of the music industry that captures the new obstacles that today’s bands must overcome in order to succeed. Some musicians handle the pressures, opportunities, and disappointments more effectively than others. Some still succumb to the mesmerizing allure of sex and drugs and rock & roll. Rock & Roll Rip-Off is the second novel in RJ McDonnell’s Rock & Roll Mystery Series. Like the critically acclaimed Rock & Roll Homicide, McDonnell once again mixes humor, music, and a cast of unique characters to unfold a memorable mystery that shows Jason and a loved one “knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door.” $2.99 on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and most eBook stores. |
03-20-2011, 10:42 AM | #2 |
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Here’s what a few of the critics said about Rock & Roll Rip-Off:
"Rock & Roll Rip-Off is a fascinating adventure on the darker side of the music industry and the criminal underworld that lies within it." – Midwest Book Review "The plot is well considered and developed, and Jason Duffy an appealing PI. A musician himself, the author clearly knows the world in which he sets his mysteries, providing an insider look at not only what the public sees on stage, but also what it takes behind-the-scenes to get it there. Finally, the rocky relationship Duffy has with his father, introduced in the first book of the series, takes a step forward here ... a nice touch." – Mysterious Reviews “Don't stop believin'! RJ McDonnell's Irish-American PI Jason Duffy leads a series that is hard rockin' good fun. Add Rock & Roll Rip-Off to your stacks!” – Critical Mick “Congratulations for your novel, Rock & Roll Rip-Off, being selected by the 2010 Premier Book Awards as the Best Book of the Year in the Mystery/Thriller category! The competition was fierce and it was a difficult decision choosing from so many deserving books entered into this year's contest. However, the judges were unanimous in their selection of Rock & Roll Rip-Off as the winner.” – James R. Olson “RJ McDonnell combines a well-plotted mystery with a music-industry backdrop to create a book that should appeal to mystery fans and music fans alike. ... He also provides laughs along the way, and it is a hard-hearted reader indeed that doesn't enjoy the final chapter.” - Tim Chamberlain, KAZI Radio |
04-01-2011, 01:41 PM | #3 |
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Rock & Roll Rip-Off just received a new review this morning on Teens Read Too. Although my novel wasn't written specifically for a YA audience, I suspect that the CS Monitor article on how my series is being used by parents to get their adult children interested in books, has filtered into the YA age group. Here's the review: http://www.teensreadtoo.com/RockRollRipOff.html
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04-02-2011, 03:54 PM | #4 |
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Cool, heres to more sales! best wishes.
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04-06-2011, 02:15 PM | #5 |
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Thanks, Bill. I appreciate it.
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04-09-2011, 05:16 PM | #6 |
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i really enjoyed the first book, and just finished rock & roll rip-off. i was surprised and disappointed that while the first book was first person from the main character's perspective, the second book isn't first person. like my amazon review says, i don't think i've ever seen a series change from first person to third party narrator before.
any chance of a third book in the series? if so, will it be from jason's perspective? Last edited by basschick; 04-13-2011 at 03:19 PM. |
04-15-2011, 09:50 AM | #7 | |
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Quote:
Since then, many top authors have written in the mixed perspective. I enjoyed writing Jason's character in the 1st person so much that I debated the point with my editor, won, and completely rewrote my third novel in the series, The Concert Killer (due for a July release). Thanks for writing a review and for your feedback here. Do you think I should copy it and send it to my editor? ... Me, too. |
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04-15-2011, 09:57 AM | #8 |
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Ouch, my aching bloated TBR list! But it looks good, and Basschick has a good recommendation track record, so I'm gonna go get them. My iPad is getting heavy with all of these books.
EDIT: I got them from iBooks. Last edited by DixieGal; 04-15-2011 at 10:07 AM. |
04-15-2011, 10:13 AM | #9 | |
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yes, i do think you should send this to your editor. you might point out that sue grafton's T Is for Trespass is written from both the series star kinsey's first person perspective and the villain's perspective, and it was as well liked as many of her other books, and in fact better liked than some.
a lot of people who become devoted to detective series novels aren't in it for the detection, but because they get to know the main narrating character as if he or she was a friend. i'm surprised your editor didn't know that. looking forward to your next book, which will hopefully be released as an ebook in july Quote:
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04-16-2011, 12:41 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
I just pulled a popular 2006 editing book called "Don't Sabotage Your Submission," off of my bookshelf. It says that mixed POV could be a deal breaker with a publishing house, and that even established writers get mixed results with this POV. I believe that as long as a clear orientation is maintained there shouldn't be a problem, and widespread acceptance is inevitable. But, even Sue Grafton waited until more recent years to use it. I just finished C is for Corpse last week (I'm reading them out of sequence). It was in first person all the way, and an excellent read. I met Sue at a writers conference in 2009. She is definitely not one to worry about upsetting the publishing world's establishment. Glad to hear you'll be reading The Concert Killer in July. I appreciate your input, basschick. |
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04-16-2011, 01:19 PM | #11 |
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i noticed one reader on this board considers mixed POV to be "weird". i'm not always in love with it myself all the time, but sometimes it adds a very good texture, and i prefer mixed pov to no first person with a character i already know.
please pm me when your next book is out so i can grab it! and thanks for being being willing to discuss this - it's very much appreciated |
04-22-2011, 10:03 AM | #12 |
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My novels are being featured on DailyCheapReads.com today. If you get a chance, stop by.
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05-09-2011, 05:54 PM | #13 |
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Here is the latest review of Rock & Roll Rip-Off, posted on Goodreads last week: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15651034
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05-28-2011, 02:30 PM | #14 |
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If you're interested in finding out what this book is all about, the first 12 chapters have recently been posted on fReado. http://tiny.cc/6qiyq
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06-21-2011, 07:35 PM | #15 |
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Last Friday my first television interview aired on a show called The Morning Mix, which is the Poconos version of Regis and Kelly. They had a Rock & Roll theme day. I was the first guest and talked about my R&R Mystery series. An incredible guitarist named Dale Stephens followed me and performed a cut from his new CD.
At first I thought I'd be nervous, but the local Kelly, Kristen Brooks, was very funny and kept the conversation light and fun. I was the first guest and appear five minutes into the show. If you get a chance to watch it please let me know your thoughts. Here's the link: http://tiny.cc/y0ao7 |
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music mystery, rj mcdonnell, rock & roll rip-off, rock mystery, rock novel |
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