Get ready for a thrilling new installment in the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, where a big bestseller leads to small town trouble.
Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts, until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful…
A new Cora Crafts mystery with giveaway: Assault and Beadery by Mollie Cox Bryan
All of Cora Chevalier’s dreams are coming true. Since moving to Indigo Gap, North Carolina, the busy crafting maven has been blessed with a great boyfriend, a lovely home, and a booming craft retreat business. But on the eve of her first Crafty Mom’s Escape Weekend, tragedy strikes again in Indigo Gap. This time, it’s curtains for Stan Herald, the disagreeable director of the local theater group, who’s murdered on the opening night of their new production. Worse, Cora’s friend Zee is accused of the crime.
Continue reading “A new Cora Crafts mystery with giveaway: Assault and Beadery by Mollie Cox Bryan”
Guest Post on Ruff Drafts: Book Cover Design and the Danger of Assuming
Glitter Bomb (A Scrapbooking Mystery) by Laura Childs with Terrie Farley Moran
An exploding Mardi Gras float has got to be the strangest murder weapon scrappy sleuth Carmela Bertrand has ever encountered in this latest Scrapbooking Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author.
It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans and scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is excited to be attending the Pluvius Parade along with her best friend Ava. Carmela’s ex-husband Shamus rides by the duo on his float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster. Shamus’ float crashes and explodes, and although Shamus escapes unhurt, a member of his krewe is killed.
Carmela and Ava plunge into an investigation of the krewe-member’s death, but as they dig deeper it starts to look less like an accident and more like a murder….and Shamus seems less like a victim, and more like a suspect.
Scrapbooking tips and recipes included!
Interview with Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author
Laura, welcome back to Island Confidential! Can you tell us a little about the protagonist of Glitter Bomb?
Carmela Bertrand is smart, entrepreneurial, and owns a small scrapbook shop in the French Quarter. She’s loyal to a fault and quick to help a friend in trouble. Of course, this puts Carmela in incredibly dangerous situations. For example, in Glitter Bomb Carmela’s ex-husband begs her to help clear him as a suspect when a Mardi Gras float explodes and kills a hedge fund bigwig. With multiple (and dangerous) suspects, Carmela has to muster up her amateur sleuthing skills and run her own shadow investigation.
How would you feel about Carmela if you met her in real life?
I’d love to hang out with Carmela – especially at Mardi Gras. I mean, what’s better than a week of parades, parties, beignets, and beads! And the food in New Orleans is to die for. We’re talking beignets, po-boys, crawfish etouffee, gumbo, pralines, and crazy drinks like hurricanes and frozen daiquiris. Let the good times roll and thank you, Carmela, for all those recipes you included in the book!
Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
Let’s just say they progress. They get a little bit funnier, smarter, saltier, and outrageous as the books go on. Glitter Bomb is the 15th book in my New Orleans Scrapbook Mystery series, so the main characters, Carmela and Ava, are pretty much over the top by now. And, yes, it’s called a Scrapbook Mystery, but the scrapbook shop just serves as home base for a rip-roaring mystery that includes haunted cemeteries, a fashion show, sports car rally, party at the zoo, and hungry alligators.
Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life – on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
Not exactly, but people who have been unkind to me in the past often find their names used for disreputable and annoying characters in my books.
Excellent idea! So how realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
My New Orleans setting is extremely realistic. I try very hard to capture the raucousness of the French Quarter, spookiness of the above ground cemeteries, and primordial beauty of the bayous. Also, through friends who live in New Orleans, I’ve had the great fortune to visit the dens where the Mardi Gras floats are constructed, attend the Rex ball, and even march in a Mardi Gras parade.
As someone whose day job is teaching, I’m well aware of the pitfalls and horrors of group assignments. Yet you and your coauthor, Terrie Farley Moran, seem to have a very productive partnership. Can you tell us a little about her?
Terrie is a consummate pro. She’s smart, witty, and immensely talented. Sometimes we work on a chapter together, sometimes we work independently and alternate chapters. Whatever the method, our words and ideas always mesh!
What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
Worst advice would be to “write what you know.” If authors seriously did that there’d be no Harry Potter, Middle Earth, Star Trek, or Hunger Games. The best advice I’ve heard is to write every day – and work straight through. Don’t go back and revise a single chapter until your manuscript is completely finished. Chances are, when it’s done, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Okay, THEN you go back and punch up your work like crazy – really ratchet up the action and human drama, make your characters even more lovable or despicable.
About the Authors
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.
Laura’s Links:
Webpage – http://www.laurachilds.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31
Short-listed twice for The Best American Mystery Stories, Terrie Farley Moran is delighted to introduce mystery fans to the Read ’Em and Eat café and bookstore, which debuted with Well Read, Then Dead. followed by Caught Read-Handed and Read to Death released in July of this year. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is playing games and reading stories with any or all of her grandchildren.
Terrie’s Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrie.moran.9
Blog: www.womenofmystery.net
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23186092-terrie-moran
Purchase Links:
Trimmed to Death: A New Bad Hair Day Mystery and guest post from Nancy J. Cohen.
Mix together a cocktail for murder, add a few salty suspects, toss in a dollop of sweet humor, and you have the recipe for Trimmed to Death, #15 in the Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series.
Continue reading “Trimmed to Death: A New Bad Hair Day Mystery and guest post from Nancy J. Cohen.”
The Perfect Body 99 cent intro price ends today
When Professor Molly attends Mahina State University’s exclusive donor dinner, she doesn’t expect to share a table with the insufferable Stephen Park. Turns out it’s one thing to invite your toxic ex-boyfriend to drop dead…it’s quite another when he takes you up on it.
Get The Perfect Body for 99 cents today.
Yesterday's Tears, a paranormal cozy from Sam Cheever (plus Kindle Paperwhite giveaway)!
It might be a murder from decades ago, but it still has its claws in the present…and someone seems determined to drag Anna into it.
It’s way too soon to be returning to a haunted mansion, and Anna’s favorite cowboy ghost does his best to talk her out of it. But the opportunity to pick from the beautiful antiques left to her in a Crocker resident’s will is just too tempting for Anna and Pratt to pass up. So they’re going in…
They’re prepared to deal with a few cold spots. Maybe the occasional flickering light. But what Anna and the boys weren’t counting on was bumping up against the ghost of Josiah Bumgartner, a contemporary of Joss’ from the 1800s. And when Josiah claims the old woman who lived in the house hid his bones around the place, Anna agrees to help him find them. But something much darker is at work there. And, unfortunately for our happy little gang of antique hunters…Anna seems to have unwittingly stepped right into the middle of it.
Character Interview
Joss, welcome to Island Confidential. Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
Howdy, darlin’! I’m Joss from the Yesterday’s paranormal historical mysteries. I died in the 1800s and got stuck in the building where Anna Yesterday has her store, Yesterday’s Antiques. I’m a ghost. Not one o’ them wrathy varmints. I’m Anna’s guardian spirit. It’s my job ta protect Miss Anna. It’s unsettlin’ how hard that is to do!
Of all the characters in the book, living or dead, which is the one you get along with the best?
Miss Anna of course. She’s a right pretty gal and sweet as penny candy. But she’s just too trustin’ you ask me. She gives that varmint Pratt too much room to maneuver and it’s all I can do ta keep her safe from his o’re friendly ways.
It sounds like you really admire Miss Anna. Is there anyone you don’t hold in such high esteem?
I mentioned the Puke right?
Who?
That’s what I call a varmint from Missoura. Him and me are like oil and water…and he’s the oil. Black and odiferous. It’s unfortunate Miss Anna cottons to the varmint.
Ah. You’re talking about Pratt.
I’m doin’ my best ta open her eyes but I ain’t had much success so far.
No, it doesn’t sound like you have. So just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
Miss Sam’s a hoot. She’s always puttin’ us in impossible spots and then sittin’ back ta watch us wriggle out of ’em. But the worst o’ all was when Sam stuck me in that savagerous critter and left me there for half a book. I’m still pickin’ fur from my teeth and I ain’t happy about it.
That sounds like quite an adventure! What’s next for you?
After that last time in the haunted mansion, I told Miss Anna she needed ta take some time to get her chirk back. But then that old lady died and left her a house full o’ antiques. Now if ya don’t know nothin’ else about Miss Anna, know this. That gal’s got a hankerin’ for antiques. She can’t say no to t’em. So back we go to another mansion filled with spirits. Some of the critters ain’t happy we’re there. I reckon that’s because o’ the murder that happened there all those years ago. Then there’s Josiah Bumgartner, a hoister from back in my day. I’m tellin’ ya, nothin’ good’s gonna come from him bein’ involved. I’m gonna have my hands full keeping Miss Anna safe on this one.
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About the Author
Let’s face it, nobody really cares that Sam Cheever is a USA Today Bestselling Author. Nobody cares that she’s written a whole ton of fun and snappy books. Let’s face it, the most interesting thing about Sam is the fact that she’s a dogaholic. Yeah, there’s no Dogaholic’s Anonymous chapter that can help her. Believe me, she’s looked. So Sam deals with her problem the best way she knows how. She digs into the mountains of personal experiences (mostly involving dog poo) to write GREAT dog characters.
Oh, and there are some people in her books too. She’s also pretty good at those.
Want to ask Sam about her dogs…erm…books? You can connect with her at one of the following places. Just don’t ask her why she has 15 dogs. Nobody in the whole wide world can answer that.
NEWSLETTER: Join Sam’s Monthly newsletter and get a FREE book! You can also keep up with her appearances, enjoy monthly contests, and get previews of her upcoming work! http://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html
TEXT NEWS ALERTS: Or if you’d rather not receive a monthly newsletter, you can sign up for text alerts and just receive a brief text when Sam’s launching a new release or appearing somewhere fun. Just text SAMNEWS to 781-728-9542 to be added!
ONLINE HOT SPOTS: To find out more about Sam and her work, please pay her a visit at any one of the following online hot spots: Her blog: http://www.samcheever.com/blog; Twitter: http://twitter.com/samcheever; and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor. She looks forward to chatting with you! She has a technique for scooping poop that she knows you’re just DYING to learn about.
Author Links:
Newsletter: http://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html Subscribe to Sam’s newsletter and win a free copy of the fun mystery novella from Sam’s popular Silver Hills Cozy Mysteries
Text News Alerts: https://mobile-text-alerts.com/samnews
Website: http://www.SamCheever.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/samcheever
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samcheever
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sam-cheever
Purchase Links
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2S75ZK
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yesterdays-tears-sam-cheever/1129207019?ean=2940161816547
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/yesterdays-tears/id1420209232?mt=11
kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/yesterday-s-tears-2
Featured image: 19th Century autograph book from the Indiana University Archives
It's a man's, man's world. By L.A. Chandlar, author of The Gold Pawn (An Art Deco Mystery)
November 1936. Mayor La Guardia’s political future buckles under a missing persons case in New York City. Simultaneously, Lane unravels devastating secrets in the outskirts of Detroit. As two crimes converge, judging friends from enemies can be a dangerous game . . .
Finally summoning the courage to face the past, Lane Sanders breaks away from her busy job at City Hall to confront childhood nightmares in Rochester, Michigan. An unknown assailant left Lane with scattered memories after viciously murdering her parents. However, one memory of a dazzling solid gold pawn piece remains—and with it lies a startling connection between the midwestern tragedy and a current mystery haunting the Big Apple.
Mystery, Mythology, and Magic: Barnabas Tew and The Case Of The Nine Worlds
Hold your flying horses!
Barnabas Tew and Wilfred Colby are back, and, once again, they’re in a bit of a pickle.
Barnabas and Wilfred, two earnest but bumbling Victorian detectives, travel through the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology, trying to stave off the impending end of the world – an event which the locals call Ragnarok. This time, however, the intrepid twosome has some help: a brave Viking seer named Brynhild and her flying horse.
Can the two plucky detectives and the fearsome Brynhild outwit those who would bring about Ragnarok? Will they survive the harsh conditions and terrifying creatures of the Norse afterlife?
Will they save the world…again?
Character interview
Today we sit down with Barnabas, the eponymous character in the best-selling Barnabas Tew series. The second book, “Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Nine Worlds” has just been released, so Barnabas is very excited to answer our questions and tell us a little something about the book!
Mr. Tew, welcome to Island Confidential. Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
Well, I suppose you’re all very much aware of my detective skills; not to brag, of course, but I did save the world more than once, you know. But you said something people wouldn’t guess? In that case I’d have to say that I am an absolutely abominable croquet player. There, I admitted it. Indeed, I can scarcely hit the ball without digging up the lawn in the process. And what is the point, just whacking balls about on the grass? It is utter silliness, and I am glad to be bad at it.
Which character do you get along with the best?
Wilfred, of course. He is the best assistant a detective could hope to have. Indeed, I think I may not have saved the world nearly so well without his help.
Is there anyone you have a conflict with?
Brynhild and I had quite a few arguments, but I am really quite fond of her. Sometimes you don’t really know what you think until you start to argue with someone. It really clarifies your thinking.
Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
I do wish she’d be a bit more predictable, to tell you the truth. I never know where I’m going to end up. I mean, to be snatched out of London and dropped into first Ancient Egypt, and now this terribly uncivilized Viking place? Absurd.
What’s next for you?
I suppose you’ll have to ask Ms. Noonan about that. She never tells me anything.
About the Author
Columbkill Noonan has an M.S. in Biology (she has, in turn, been a field biologist, an environmental compliance inspector, and a lecturer of Anatomy and Physiology).
When she’s not teaching or writing, she can usually be found riding her rescue horse, Mittens, practicing yoga (on the ground, in an aerial silk, on a SUP board, and sometimes even on Mittens), or spending far too much time at the local organic, vegan market.
Judging a book by its cover: What does your face reveal about your personality?
What do Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism look like? Now we know, thanks to Science.
Composite photos of individuals high in narcissism were in fact judged as narcissistic. Same with psychopathy and Machiavellianism.
“The results indicated that unacquainted observers reliably detected the dark triad composite… not only is the dark triad a set of psycho-social characteristics — it may also be a set of physical — morphological characteristics.”
Here are the photos.
I tried these on my students and they were indeed able to tell who was what, especially the female psychopath.
What do you think your face says to the world?
Me, I think I’d rather not know. I just keep smiling and hope no one notices anything bad.
By the way, the “narcissist” in the featured photo is the composite on your right.
An earlier version was published on Jane Reads
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