About the Instructor
Bethany Maines is an award-winning novelist with a long time passion for teaching. She holds a fifth degree black belt in Shotokan karate and has been studying since 2003, and teaching since 2007.
Fighting for Fiction Handouts
Fill out the form to receive the handouts for the Fighting for Fiction seminar. You will receive an email with a download link from info@bluezephyrpress.com.
The Second Shot
The Deveraux family is wealthy, powerful, and in a lot of trouble.
Book 1 of The Deveraux Legacy & a PNWA 2019 Literary Contest award-winner.
A drunken mistake in college cost US Marshal Maxwell Ames the affection of Dominique Deveraux and six years later, heâs determined to fix the slip-up. But thereâs just one tiny problemâsomeone wants the Deveraux family dead. Dominique Deveraux never expected Max to reappear in her life, let alone apologize, but as Dominique investigates the mysterious attacks on her wealthy family Max quickly becomes far more than her one time college classmate. Now, Max and Dominique must dodge mercenaries and bullets as they try to make sure that theyâre the only ones who get a second shot.
The Cinderella Secret
Book 2 of the Deveraux Legacy
Aiden Deveraux has secrets. His secrets could get her killed.
Aiden Deveraux is a hot-shot lawyer with a secret identityâthe mask wearing street-fighter named Number Nine. But when his familyâs company is threatened, Aiden faces his toughest opponent yet, the brilliant and gorgeous Ella Zhao. Ella is in New York to bring down the people to blame for her fatherâs deathâthe Deveraux familyâand sheâs not about to let some Prince Charming lawyer like Aiden stop her. But as Aiden and Ella scramble to uncover the past that no one, including their own families, wants revealed, they find themselves running from a murderer who knows the Deveraux and Zhao all too well. With their hearts, lives, and millions of dollars on the line, Aiden and Ella may have to trust each other with their secrets if they want to make it out of this fight alive.
An Unseen Current
You never know whatâs beneath the surface.
When Seattle native Tish Yearly finds herself fired and evicted all in one afternoon, she knows sheâs in deep water. Unemployed and desperate, the 26 year old ex-actress heads for the one place she knows sheâll be welcome â the house of her cantankerous ex-CIA agent grandfather, Tobias Yearly, in the San Juan Islands. And when she discovers the strangled corpse of Tobias's best friend, she knows sheâs in over her head. Tish is thrown head-long into a mystery that pits her against a handsome but straight-laced Sheriffâs Deputy, a group of eccentric and clannish local residents, and a killer who knows the island far better than she does. Now Tish must swim against the current, depending on her nearly forgotten acting skills and her grandfatherâs spy craft, to con a killer and keep them alive.
Against the Undertow
You never know what will drag you down.
Former actress Tish Yearly is determined to turn an old Orcas Island homestead into the premier wedding venue in the San Juans Islands of Washington, but money, skill and her grandfather, Tobias Yearly, are all standing in her way. Tobias, the septuagenarian ex-CIA agent, wants them to become private investigators. Tish might be able to ignore her grandfatherâs whims, except that her one time love interest and current friend, handsome Sheriffâs Deputy Emmett Nash, was just accused of murdering his ex-wifeâs boyfriend. Now Tish and Tobias are on the case, and it should be easyâafter all, who could really think Nash was a killer?âbut the further they investigate, the more people seem to be threatening her life: the police detective on the case, Nashâs angry ex-wife, his psychotic ex-girlfriend, and a strangely venomous group of hippies. Almost everyone on the island seems determined to stop her. Tish is swimming against the undertow, but it might not be enough to save either Nash or herself.
An Unfamiliar Sea
In a storm, you never know which way is home.
Tish Yearly is about to open a wedding venue on Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. All she wants is to sail through her first wedding, figure out why her best friend isnât talking to her, and tell her grandfather sheâs dating someone he doesnât approve of. But before she can get to any of that, Tishâs favorite employee turns up deadâapparently drowned in four inches of water. Now Tish, and her grandfather, former CIA agent and current curmudgeon and licensed P.I. Tobias Yearly, are wading through the suspects including a meth-cooking uncle, a brother with anger-management issues, and the mysterious island drug kingpin, who may or may not be going straight. Tish is attempting to navigate this unfamiliar sea, but she may not be able to weather the storms to find her way home.
Bulletproof Mascara
The Carrie Mae make-up ladies aren't just selling lipstick - they're packing heat.
When Nikki Lanier was offered a position with the Carrie Mae cosmetic corporation, she leapt at it. Soon, Nikki learns that the powder and lipstick are simply cover-up for the Carrie Mae Foundation: a secret organization of international espionage and high-tech mascara founded for the purpose of âhelping women everywhere.â  Whisked off to Thailand with the legendary agent Val Robinson, Nikki is soon in over her head. Between investigating the abduction of a human rights activist, tracking down a murderous arms dealer, keeping up with her wildly dangerous new partner, and occasionally trying to date a hunk who may or may not be CIA, Nikki has to use all the courage and cosmetic technology sheâs got to bring down the bad guys and get out alive. Nikki got more than just a job; she got a career in intrigue and espionage, complete with knock-out gas perfume, stiletto stilettoâs and a some kick-ass new friends. Itâs a dream job, as long she can survive.
Compact with the Devil
In her hilarious, action-packed debut, Bethany Maines introduced sleuth Nikki Lanier and melded the best of Charlie's Angels, Alias, and Janet Evanovich in a smart, ultra-modern spy spoof.
Still reeling from the break up with CIA agent Z'ev Coralles, Nikki is tracking a Basque anarchist who may be planning to kill fellow Carrie Mae operative Camille Masters. Nikki's search leads her to Camille's son, bad-boy pop star Kit Masters, who's traveling to Paris on tour. When Nikki receives a picture of Z'ev with another woman, Kit is happy to help mend her broken heart, but first they have to fend off masked gunmen and get Kit safely to his New Year's Eve concert. When internal conflict within Carrie Mae gets her fired from the mission, Nikki defies orders and recruits her friends to help solve the case. But staying alive long enough to do it--and untangle her increasingly messy love life--will be the hardest thing Nikki's ever done.
High-Caliber Concealer
Carrie Mae might look like an organization of nice ladies who sell make-up, but a few know the truth â they're an international espionage agency dedicated to helping women.
Nikki Lanier is a top level Carrie Mae agent with everything under control â except her life. And when her teammate just made a blunder that put them all on suspension, Nikki decides to visit her grandmotherâs farm. But her simple vacation is complicated by dangerous drug smugglers, the childhood sweetheart who broke her heart, and the sudden arrival of not only her mother and teammates, but also her current boyfriend, CIA Agent Zâev Coralles. Now Nikki must discover what her family is hiding, whether or not she still has feelings for her ex, and how the smugglers are getting their drugs across the Canadian border, all while keeping her family â and Zâev â in the dark about what she really does for a living. But soon Nikki must choose between keeping her secret and keeping her friends and family alive. Nikki might be a high-caliber concealer, but this time it might not be enough.
Glossed Cause
Sunscreen, waterproof mascara, and a silenced .38 will take a girl anywhere she wants to go in life.
Top Carrie Mae agent Nikki Lanierâs nemesis and ex-partner Val Robinson has returned from the dead and she wants Nikkiâs help. When Val said that Phillipe LanierâNikkiâs long-absent fatherâhad been kidnapped, Nikki dropped everythingâfriends, family, boyfriend, to fly to the rescue. But soon Nikki realizes that her fatherâs kidnapping may not be what it seems and she may have just tanked her life for one of his ridiculous schemes. As Nikki and Val arrive in Amsterdam, Nikki realizes that if wants her life back, sheâs going to have to not only stop an international arms dealer, but convince her boyfriend, CIA Agent Zâev Coralles, that sheâs not the bad guy and that Carrie Mae isnât a terrorist organization. But with Philippe refusing to be rescued, and an INTERPOL agent gunning for Val and Nikki, as well as making moves on Zâev, Nikki is starting to doubt her own abilities. Can she do it, or is it a Glossed Cause?
Wild Waters
The mission that brings them together will tear them apart.
In the steamy jungle of 1960âs era Vietnam, when a team of Navy SEALs are brought together with a pair of reporters, no one is prepared for the explosive, and otherwordly, secrets their encounter will reveal. Lt. Ben Kolley, former WWII frogman, leads one of the first teams of Navy SEALs, including the elusive point-man with an uncanny sense of the water - Catch. The reporters, a drunken writer, and Kahele, a female photographer with dark eyes and an even darker secret are the first allowed to interview a SEAL team. But neither Kahele or Catch are prepared to discover an attraction for each other thatâs like nothing theyâve ever experienced. Soon, Catch is breaking all the rules to be with her, and Kahele finds herself entangled by a passion sheâs never felt before. But for Ben, Kahele dredges up horrifying memories of an old mission â one where not all of his team returned. Can Kahele be trusted or is she the monster Ben fears? The clock is ticking, and soon all their lives depend on Ben.
Sharkâs Instinct
Book 1 of the Shark Santoyo Crime Series
Fresh out of prison and fresh out of luck, twenty-something Shark wants back into The Organization. But when Geier, the mob boss with a cruel sense of humor, sends Shark to the suburbs to find out whoâs been skimming his take, Shark realizes heâs going to need more than his gun and an attitude to succeed. With the clock ticking, Shark accepts the help of the mysterious teenage fixer, Peregrine Hays, and embarks on a scheme that could line his pockets, land him the girl and cement his reputation with the gangâif he makes it out alive.
Sharkâs Bite
Book 2 of the Shark Santoyo Crime Series
Shark has been doing his time in the suburbs and doing his best to stay away from Peregrine Hays. But when Shark becomes the target of a crooked ATF agent, he has no choice but to call on Peri. As they attempt to close down Fowlerâs operation, Shark and Peri must contend with an angry biker gang, Sharkâs smoking hot parole officer, Periâs alcoholic uncle, and their own undeniable attraction to one another. And Shark begins to suspect that Peri has her own reasons for being interested in Agent Fowler. Can Shark walk the knife edge between Peri, his gang and the law to bring down Fowler and get back into the upper echelons of The Organization?
Sharkâs Hunt
Book 3 of the Shark Santoyo Crime Series
After being blackmailed into abandoning Peri by her uncle Al, the ex-special forces private investigator, Shark knows he must focus on his missionâbring down Geier. But itâs a mission complicated by a brewing gang war between The Organization and the Scarecrow Jacks. And when Geier sends Shark head-hunting against the Scarecrows, Shark finds his paths crossing with Peri once again. And soon, Shark finds that he may be forced to rely on Al to not just survive, but to save Peri.
Sharkâs Fin
Book 4 of the Shark Santoyo Crime Series
When Shark Santoyo made a deal with the FBI to gather evidence against Geier, the boss of The Organization, he thought heâd be done in a few weeks. But six months later Shark is faced with an FBI handler who is working against him, an assassination investigation and an increasingly erratic Geier. Shark has only one goal in mind: make it out of this mess alive back to the only girl who has ever held his trust and his heartâPeregrine Hays. But threats from within the gang and without have the net drawing ever tighter. This may be one trap he wonât be able to swim away from.
Peregrineâs Flight
Book 5 of the Shark Santoyo Crime Series
Peregrine Hays has always been able to see the angles and fix any situationâbut even she canât fix the death of Shark Santoyo. All Peri wants to do is finally move on, but when mysterious new player Hernan Arroyo comes to town looking for Shark and digging up the past, he unwittingly puts Peri in the path of the Reyes brothers, their hunt for a smuggler of stolen Mayan artifacts, and a shadowy figure known only as the Mannequin. Peri is struggling, but maybe with the help of her friends, she can learn to fly.
Tales from the City of Destiny
The Collected Tales
Ariana Grace is not just your average antiques dealer. This half-faery can sell you all the best âassetsâ â a great sense of humor, a new memory, or just the right amount of luck.  If your problem seems impossible, if no one else can help, then Ariana Grace might have just the right asset for you. But be warned â magic has a mind of itâs own â everything may not go as you planned.
â The Dragon Incident, Spells of Murder, and The Devilâs Invitational have all been collected into one volume featuring five additional tales that reveal more about your favorite characters! Follow Ariana through 8 tales of mystery, murder, and adventure as she shows us just whatâs lurking in Tacomaâs alleyâs, pool halls, and brothels.
When Stars Take Flight: A Galactic Dreams Novella
Inspired by the fairy tale Thumbelina and reimagined for a new ageâthe future.
Alliance Ambassador Lina Tum-Bel knows sheâs up against a galaxy full of trouble as she attempts to rebuild the Interstellar Alliance, but she never thought a simple mission to reconnect with the space bases of Nebula Six would have her fleeing for her life with an army behind her. Kidnapped by the ToâAndans, tortured by the Moliter, and rescued by Sparrow Pandionâthe spy who hides a secret painâLina must battle for her freedom, her survival and her heart. Her training says that she canât trust her handsome rescuer, but her telepathic gift says there is no one she can trust more. Maybe together, she and Sparrow can learn to fly.
The Seventh Swan - A Galactic Dreams Novella
Inspired by the fairy tale The Six Swans and reimagined for a new ageâthe future.
A 2019 Book Excellence Award winner!
Keelia Black of the Swan Clan and her six brothers have always been able to conquer anything, but when they land on a desolate asteroid base they find themselves facing a foe unlike anything theyâve ever encountered. Fang Nazari, rogue weapons developer and undisputed queen of the asteroid holds her step-son, Jericho, and five other prisoners hostageâforcing them to dig for an ancient artifact buried at the asteroids core. Keelia and her brothers are quick to stage an escape, but when the brothers flee the asteroid they are forced to leave Keelia behind. And as Fang holds Keelia in silent captivity, Keelia realizes that there is more to Fangâs madness than a simple thirst for power. Fang is under the sway of a malevolent force that endangers not just Keelia and Jericho, but the lives of everyone in the galaxy. As the Swan Clan searches for her, Keelia, Jericho and the other prisoners must risk their lives to not only free themselves, but prevent a primordial evil from escaping.