Author Of The Month - Marshall Thornton - Week Three

Welcome to our third week of celebrations for the amazing 

In today's post, we're going to look at the Pinx Video Mysteries, including some recipes from the books, and My Favorite Uncle. And of course, all the way at the bottom, is another chance to win!




My Favorite Uncle

Blurb:

Martin Dixon's carefully-constructed, peaceful life is turned upside down when his super Christian eighteen-year-old nephew Carter shows up unexpectedly on his doorstep and announces he's gay. Martin's first impulse is to send him back to his parents. But when he discovers that Carter has been in a mental hospital to cure his gay-ness he realizes he's stuck with the boy. Unfortunately, the two get on each other's nerves, each driving the other to distraction. Independently, however, they each arrive at the same conclusion. The other would be much less annoying if he only had... a boyfriend.

Get the book:

First in the Pinx Video Mystery series, Night Drop

Blurb:

It’s 1992 and Los Angeles is burning. Noah Valentine, the owner of Pinx Video in Silver Lake, notices the fires have taken their toll on fellow shopkeeper Guy Peterson’s camera shop. After the riots end, he decides to stop by Guy’s to pick up his overdue videos, only to find Guy’s family dividing up his belongings. He died in the camera store fire—or did he? Noah and his charmingly meddlesome downstairs neighbors begin to suspect something else might have happened to Guy Peterson. Something truly sinister.

Excerpt:

“What is all this?” Leon asked.

“You know the camera shop on Vermont?” Marc asked in return.

“Across from the college?”

“Yes, that one. Well it burned down with the guy who owns it inside.”

“Last Thursday,” I added.

“Noah stole these from the family.”

“I didn’t steal them. They left them in the alley.”

“So you stole them,” Leon teased.

“You can’t steal garbage. And when you leave something by the dumpster in the alley, that’s what it is. Garbage.”

Louis stood up. “Here, look at the artistic nudes while I get you a drink.”

Leon took the stack but didn’t look through it. “Oh God! It was a terrible day at work. Everyone was all out of sorts.” He did something with international film sales, I never figured out exactly what. “I have seven women working for me. I have a Korean girl who’s convinced the black girls want to kill her. The Latina hates immigrants so she blames everything on them. The black girls feel like people are blaming the riot on them, which is ridiculous. One of them is married to a plastic surgeon and lives in Brentwood for God’s sake. And the three white women are so busy trying not to offend anyone they won’t say a word.”

Louis returned with a martini for Leon. “Thank you. However did you know?”

“It was the panic and dread in your eyes.”

“You say the sweetest things.” He guzzled half his martini. “So, why did you steal Guy’s photos?”

“Stop saying steal,” I said. “I rescued them.”

“Are they that good?”

“They’re okay.”

“Okay? You’ve saved mediocre photographs for posterity. How lovely.”

Louis had gone back to looking through his pile. “Hello. I think we have a winner here.” He kept flipping through. “Oh, definitely.”

He spread about ten pictures out on the table. They were all of an attractive young man in his early twenties. The poses were provocative. In most of them he held a very impressive, very erect penis in his hand. Sometimes he used two hands.

“Oh my,” said Marc.

“At least he finishes what he starts,” Louis said, pointing at the most explosive of the photos.

“I know him,” said Leon.

“You do?” Louis raised an eyebrow.

“He’s a VJ. Has a show on that new music channel, Video Hits. Very popular.” Pointing at his obvious assets, he said, “And now we know why.”

Get the book:

Second in the series, expected January 2018, Hidden Treasures

Blurb:

It’s about a dress. A valuable blue sequined dress worn by a famed actress in a film from the 1940s. For some reason everyone thinks video storeowner Noah Valentine has it. Which might not be a big deal except that it’s connected to the murder of a prominent Hollywood costumer.

In the second of the Pinx Video Mysteries, Noah attempts to solve the mystery of the dress. To do so, he must confront a legendary film icon Wilma Wanderly, hunky police Detective Javier O’Shea, the dowager Queen of Watts and a couple of bitter ex-friends.

Recipes from the Pinx Video Mystery series:

Louis’ Enchilada Casserole

From Night Drop

Ingredient list:

18 corn tortillas

1 lb shredded chicken

1 small onion

1 cup chunky salsa

1 can enchilada sauce

1 can refried beans

1 lb shredded cheese

1 can mild jalapenos

1 tub sour cream

¼ cup milk or cream

Steps:

1. Find a really good Mercado that makes its own corn tortillas. Go early in the morning and make sure to buy them from the grandma, she’ll give you the fresh ones. If you buy them from the daughter they’ll be stale.
2. While you’re at the Mercado, buy everything else you need.
3. When you get home, take out your biggest, deepest dish. I use one of those old orange Le Creuset baking dishes that I got at Out of the Closet. I tell people it was my mother’s, giving it sentimental value. Spread olive oil all over the dish.
4. Preheat oven 375 degrees.
5. Preferably you have leftover chicken from the capon you roasted on Sunday. If you don’t, throw a combination of chicken thighs and breasts into a crock pot add a can of stewed tomatoes and some spices and cook on low for about six hours.
6. Once the chicken is shredded you can begin to construct the casserole. Spread half the can of refried beans along the bottom of the pan. Top that with six tortillas. Spread out about a third of the chicken on top of the tortillas. Then some jalapenos, some diced onion and chunky salsa. Then a third of the cheese. Repeat until you have three layers.
7. Mix together the sour cream and milk until you have a loose mixture. Pour over the top of the casserole.
8. Cook for about 45 minutes or until bubbling.

Louis’ Fourth of July Sangria

From Hidden Treasures

Ingredient list:

2 bottles 2 Buck Chuck (Sauvignon Blanc)

2 cans 7-Up

1 pint Haagen-Dazs Lemon Sorbet

About 2 cups Chambord

chopped strawberries

blueberries

Steps:

1. In a large pitcher, pour roughly 2 cups of Chambord.
2. Layer the strawberries, then the blueberries on top of the liqueur.
3. Slowly, carefully, add the chilled white wine so as not to disturb the layers of liquor and fruit.
4. Add the soda.
5. Then, finally, scope the lemon sorbet into the Sangria instead of ice cubes. A melon baller works well for this if you have one.
6. This should provide a colorful, multi-layered Sangria for the holiday. Just before serving, stir.

About the author:

Lambda Award-winning author, Marshall Thornton is best known for the Boystown detective series. Other novels include the erotic comedy The Perils of Praline, or the Amorous Adventures of a Southern Gentleman in Hollywood, Desert Run and Full Release. Marshall has an MFA in screenwriting from UCLA, where he received the Carl David Memorial Fellowship and was recognized in the Samuel Goldwyn Writing awards.

Find out more on his website!

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for celebrating this fabulous author with us. Come back next week for more of Marshall's books, our author interview, and one more chance to win.

Until then, happy reading!