Get Lost in the Jade O'Reilly Mysteries with Tamara Ward

Private Deception
Tamara Ward


I’m so thankful for this opportunity to share about my fun, sassy heroine, private investigator Jade O’Reilly! Jade is featured in a series of novels and short stories. (Novel two, Hidden Betrayal, was just released.) So I’m currently running a $0.99 sale on the first novel in the series, Private Deception, through May 18. Several short stories also feature Jade and are available for $0.99. 

A brief blurb from Private Deception: Sassy private investigator Jade O’Reilly thinks she’s hit rock bottom when, in the midst of obtaining photos of a cheating spouse in a second-story apartment, she falls off a swing set to the feet of an attractive mystery man. But the next day, when Jade discovers the man’s identity—he’s a detective with the local Sweetwater, NC, police—she learns that the cheating spouse was murdered and Jade herself is a suspect. Rock bottom just got a new definition.

Private Deception is the first novel in the Jade O’Reilly Mystery series by Amazon Bestselling Mystery and Romantic Suspense Author Tamara Ward. Action and light romance combine with engaging characters and humor for page-turning whodunits set in the fictional coastal town of Sweetwater, NC.

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Hidden Betrayal
$3.99

Who isn’t hiding a secret? That’s what Private Investigator Jade O’Reilly wonders as she looks into the theft of an artifact destined for the local art museum. The artifact’s owner is a man so wealthy he could buy the county and who wouldn’t mind also investing time into Jade. His advances don’t please Keith, Jade’s romantic interest. But that’s not the only source of conflict in the developing relationship. Why doesn’t Keith want Jade applying to carry a concealed handgun? Will Keith convince Jade to scrap her application, or will Keith’s mind change as Jade’s investigation takes a deadly twist? Hidden Betrayal is the second novel in the Jade O’Reilly Mystery series.

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Tamara Ward is an Amazon bestselling mystery and romantic suspense author with storylines and characters that combine for fun, fast-paced, can’t-put-it-down reads. Her published mystery novels include Private Deception, Hidden Betrayal, Storm Surge, and Silver Flashing. In her mysteries, you’ll find characters who keep readers hooked, strong-willed sleuths, and a sprinkling of humor. For more information, visit her website at http://authortamaraward.com.

About the Interview 

Instead of talking about me, myself, and I (which I find kind of boring, and which is why I write fiction), I thought you might instead enjoy hearing from my heroine, private investigator Jade O’Reilly herself.

Hi, everyone! Jade O’Reilly here. Wow – Get Lost in a Story! Thanks for inviting me to the blog. I must say, I’ve never been interviewed like this before. (Usually I’m behind the scenes, or in the back seat of a nondescript vehicle, especially during a stakeout.)

What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

I don’t give up. People look at me, and they don’t quite see me as someone *not* to mess with, and I suppose that’s partly my fault. I wear my brown hair un-styled, and my standard attire is the minimum required at the office – raggedy jeans and a faded polo shirt, most days. So, sometimes, people find it easy to overlook and underestimate me. As a private investigator, I use that to my advantage. If I’ve got a case I’m working, I just don’t give up until it’s solved. Once I decide to do something, I’m going after it, and no one is going to stop me.

What turns you off like nothing else?

This one’s a no brainer: my co-worker, Mack. He’s the senior PI at Grayson Investigations. He’s a bit anal; he’s got to arrange his pencils and golden nameplate and stapler all in a perfect row on his desktop. He keeps his hair in a silver crew cut over his pug-like face and dresses like he thinks he’s an FBI agent. Mack’s irksome traits, added together, wouldn’t be all that awful except Mack thinks he knows everything. And he’s constantly throwing his self-proclaimed superiority in my face. He’s always talking about how he’d do my job better and trying to cheat me out of my best cases. So I mess with Mack (which, really, isn’t too difficult) and talk back to him when he tries to put me down. He drives me crazy, but I get under his skin, too, so I guess it’s all fair.

What sound or noise do you love?

I love the sound of rain on Sweetwater Lake. It’s an inshore lake with a nearly perfect oval shoreline and is one of the Carolina Bays in North Carolina. On my kayak, out on the water, I don’t mind getting caught in a summer shower. The hollow pattering of raindrops plopping into the water, rippling the surface, surrounds me with a steady, soft sound. If you could imagine sitting in the middle of a blanket of shimmering diamonds and turn the vision into a sound – that’s what I hear when rain falls on Sweetwater Lake.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I like to kayak across Sweetwater Lake to The Shack, the favorite bar of Sweetwater locals (myself included). It’s a rundown place (hence the name), but it’s home. Sweetwater isn’t a huge town, and the customers at the Shack are like family. If the weather is pleasant, you can find my feet propped on one of the faded wood picnic tables on the lopsided back porch. Next time you visit, say hello, and I’ll buy you a drink.

What does it mean to love someone?

When you love someone, you put that person’s needs in front of your own. You do whatever it takes for that someone, even if it hurts you – or kills you – in the end.

What would you say is your most interesting quirk?

My favorite pair of shoes, my combat boots. I wear them whenever I can get away with it. My sister-in-law, Sarah, she’s always trying to share pretty shoes she’s worn a few times. The delicate sandals and feisty heels are cute – on her. But frankly, they’ve got nothing on my combat boots. Wearing my boots is like having suction pads grounding me. They’ve got great ankle support, too. And then there’s the fashion statement: don’t mess with me. But a lot of people glance over the shoes and don’t take the hint… so…

Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

Beer. Ice cold. Just joking, kind of.

Sometimes beer isn’t an option. If it’s a hot afternoon, it’s got to be iced sweet tea, preferably in a glass. This is North Carolina, after all! If it’s in the morning, I like my coffee with a bit of cream to take the edge off.

Jade has a question she'd like to ask readers:  I know I love my combat boots. What’s your favorite pair of shoes and why?

Tamara has a great giveaway for all our readers! 

Thanks again, so much, for reading Jade’s Get Lost in a Story interview. Since you made it this far, here’s a coupon code: TG95S. Please use the code at Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/249084 to download a free copy of my Sweetwater short story ebook, Jade O’Reilly and the Mysterious Musician. Simply visit the link, and use the coupon for 100% off the short story through May 19. I hope you enjoy the read!

For more information or to connect with Tamara online, please visit:

Website: http://authortamaraward.com/

Blog: http://www.authortamaraward.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamaraWard

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorTWard

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4818724.Tamara_Ward

Google+: https://plus.google.com/109368772181054878240/posts