Hello 'Unputdownables!'

While my Lust, Money & Murder series continues to captivate readers worldwide, I want to highlight another of my books which some of my readers have called a 'hidden gem.'

Just note - my latest LM&M release, Outback Diamonds, has been making lots of waves. If you haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet, now is the perfect time to catch up on Elaine Brogan’s thrilling adventures down under!

The "hidden gem" I mentioned is a book called The Drive-By Wife. Surprisingly, it's still my wife's favorite Mike Wells book, at least in the thriller & suspense genre. Writing this story was one of my greatest creative challenges. I distinctly remember an entire wall of my writing room being covered in sticky notes as I sorted out the characters' movements and the plot. It was an exhausting process, but the result is one of the most intense and 'unputdownable' thrillers I’ve ever written.

Naturally, I’m proud of this book. But don’t just take my word—here’s what readers have said in the past, some of which made me chuckle:

"If you are into psychological crime thrillers grab this book. I need a whiskey or four and a smoke now, (interesting since I am only a social drinker)."

"Towards the end I was just trying to breathe evenly."

"I started reading this book one evening before bed. Twenty minutes later I realised that my husband had been talking to me the whole time, and was now patiently waiting for me to answer a question."

"Wow. That was intense! This was one of those books that you get close to the end you want to slow down and make reading it last a little longer. Trouble is you are hurtling along at a 110 with sketchy brakes."

And one of my personal favorites: "You know that no one takes writing breathing-down-your-neck, looming evil more seriously than Mike Wells."

I’m confident that if you enjoy my suspense writing style, The Drive-By Wife will not disappoint. This is a story that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. I'm pretty certain you have never read a story quite like this one before.

Giveaway!

The Cat Always Lands On His Feet

Coffee Mug!

Ever wonder what it’s like to have a morning coffee with Giorgio Cattoretti? Well, here’s your chance! This week, I’m giving away a special edition “The Cat Always Lands on His Feet” coffee mug.

Now, I’ll be honest—Giorgio insisted on this design, and I didn’t want to argue. He even hinted that he might be producing a few counterfeit versions, because he doesn't trust me to share any profit.

So, to ensure you get your hands on the real deal, enter the giveaway below!

(Note: This 15 oz./ white mug features a colored inside, rim, and handle (available colors are black, dark blue, red, and green)

To enter the giveaway, please click on one of the responses below (by the way, clicking on more than one won't raise your chances of winning--duplicate emails are eliminated before the drawing by Random.org).

Coffee/tea is a key part of my reading experience

I can take it or leave it

Reader Spotlight

Time for our Reader Spotlight, where I give a shout-out to one of my amazing readers and offer you the chance to enjoy your 'moment in the spotlight.' All you have to do is answer a few simple questions. Here's this week's edition!

Meet Branden!

Where you're from/hometown: Sacramento, CA, USA
Favorite book of all time: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Favorite author: Kurt Vonnegut
Favorite Mike Wells book: Any of the Lust, Money & Murder books that have funny Dmitry lines!
Last book read: Disquiet Gods by Christopher Ruocchio
Favorite reading place/time: Anytime - ebook
Fun fact: My mother introduced me to the LM&M books and now I am hooked! Can't wait to read the newest!
Question: What was your inspiration for Giorgio Cattoretti and his particular personality/brand of crime?

Thanks, Branden, and please extend my gratitude to your mom for introducing you to my books.

Your question about how I created The Cat and his brand of crime is an interesting one. In fiction writing classes, you're often taught to write a complete bio for your characters before you start a book, or before you get too far into writing it. That's not how I do it. I start with an intriguing plot idea, and then, as I write the story, the characters are created to fit it--their bios start out nearly blank and then are slowly filled in as I go.

The idea for the first Lust, Money & Murder book was inspired by an article I read about a new series of counterfeit US $100 bills that were so close to the real thing that even expert US Secret Service agents couldn't tell the difference. So, working backward from that, I created Giorgio Cattoretti, a man with a criminal background capable of pulling off such a feat. He had to be intelligent, sophisticated and have a counterfeiting-related background to make it all believable.

About his personality and way of thinking, that probably came from my own father, to some extent, his way of morally justifying everything he did, as well as getting all the people around him fully emotionally invested in whatever he wanted them to do. My dad wasn't a criminal, but these elements of his character worked well when planted into Giorgio Cattoretti (This is not something I do consciously, by the way--only later, after a book is done, do I realize who I'm patterning some of my characters after).

I hope that answered your question, Branden!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who continues to share my work with friends and family. Your support has helped my books reach new readers around the world, and I’m excited to keep delivering stories that captivate and entertain.

And for those of you wondering—yes, I'm already hard at work on the next Lust, Money & Murder book (#17)! More details soon.

Keep reading and stay inspired—thank you for being with me on this journey!

Mike