Category: Frankie Bow

Posted on

#Giveaway and Interview: Gayle Leeson, author of The Calamity Cafe (new Southern culinary cozy series)

>>> Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card! <<<
The Calamity Cafe is the first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring Southern cooking

Aspiring chef and small-town Virginia native Amy Flowers is ready to open her own café offering old-fashioned Southern food. But her dream may go up in smoke when someone kills the competition…
Tired of waiting tables at Lou’s Joint, Amy Flowers doesn’t just quit—she offers to buy the place from her bully of a boss, so she can finally open the café of her dreams. Amy can’t wait to serve the kind of Southern, down-home treats and dishes that her grandmother always loved to the kooky cast of regulars at the restaurant. She knows her comfort food will be the talk of the sweet, small town of Winter Garden, Virginia.
At first Lou Lou refuses to sell, but when she seems ready to make a deal, she tells Amy to come see her.  Showing up at the eatery ready to negotiate, Amy is shocked to find her former employer murdered. As the prime suspect, Amy will have to clear her name by serving up the real killer—and with Lou Lou’s stack of enemies, that’s a tall order.
Includes delicious Southern recipes!

 
 
Q: Thanks for stopping by Island Confidential, Gayle. Can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist, Any?
A:  Amy Flowers is a young woman who has a serious goal but who doesn’t forget to have plenty of fun. She makes time for her friends and family while hoping to realize her goal of opening her own café.
Q: How much of you is in Amy?  How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A:  I’m sure there’s a little Amy in me, especially where she was so devoted to her grandmother who is deceased when we meet Amy. And, like Amy, I have a tendency to want to adopt and/or feed animals and people (especially children). Whenever my children were growing up, I was known for my cookies and cupcakes. Even when my son was in high school, I’d have to make and send chocolate chip cookies to his friends.
I’d love Amy if I met her in real life. I think we’d be good friends, but I’d have to avoid seeing her too often because if I didn’t, she’d feed me until I was as big as a house!
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A:  They do. That’s something I’ve really enjoyed with other series I’ve written (the embroidery series written under the name Amanda Lee, in particular) and that I’m looking forward to exploring in the Down South Café series. I like that each individual book can be read as a standalone but that readers who start at the beginning and continue through the series can enjoy the nuances of watching the characters grow and develop.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean? 
A:  Oh, my goodness, I have done it! In my cake decorating mystery Battered to Death (written as Gayle Trent), I killed a man who’d been mean to my son. The man was such a jerk, and I took great joy in beating him over the head with a cake stand and then drowning him in cake batter!
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A:  Both. Winter Garden is a fictional town in Virginia, but it’s close to real-life towns: Glade Spring, Meadowview, Abingdon, Bristol. In fact, at my website, I’m including photograph slideshows from various regions. I only have three so far, but I’ll continue to add to it.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Maybe Emily Osmet as Amy and Robbie Amell as Ryan. They’d be so cute together. Now you’ve got me excited about this movie! Who can we call to make it happen?
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A:  Worst advice: “You have to move to New York or Los Angeles to make it as a writer.”
Best advice: Never give up!
 
 

 
About The Author  

 
Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. I also write as Amanda Lee. As Gayle Trent, I write the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery series. As Amanda Lee, I write the Embroidery Mystery series. I live in Virginia with my family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I’m having a blast writing this new series!
Author Links:
Webpage – http://www.gayleleeson.com
Gayle Trent Webpage – http://www.gayletrent.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/GayleTrent
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/426208.Gayle_Trent
Purchase Links
Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Books-a-Million – Kobo  

 

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

Character interview and #giveaway: Mrs. Odboddy, Hometown Patriot

Since the onset of WWII, Agnes Agatha Odboddy, hometown patriot and self-appointed scourge of the underworld, suspects conspiracies around every corner…stolen ration books, German spies running amok, and a possible Japanese invasion off the California coast.
This seventy-year-old, model citizen would set the world aright if she could get Chief Waddlemucker to pay attention to the town’s nefarious deeds on any given Meatless Monday.
Mrs. Odboddy vows to bring the villains, both foreign and domestic, to justice, all while keeping chickens in her bathroom, working at the Ration Stamp Office, and knitting argyles for the boys on the front lines.
Imagine the chaos when Agnes’s long-lost WWI lover returns, hoping to find a million dollars in missing Hawaiian money and rekindle their ancient romance. In the thrilling conclusion, Agnes’s predictions become all too real when Mrs. Roosevelt unexpectedly comes to town to attend a funeral and Agnes must prove that she is, indeed, a warrior on the home front.

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself, Mrs. Odboddy?
Call me Agnes. I live with my Siamese cat, Ling-Ling, and my granddaughter, Katherine. She works at the Curls to Dye For beauty salon here in Newbury. I keep busy doing volunteer work and as I’m sure you’re aware, every citizen must to be on the look-out for Nazi spies and conspiracies.
Q: Tell us about your volunteer work.
I serve cookies at the military base USO several times a month, just up the Northern California coast. I also roll bandages at the hospital and work on the paper drive. Our church knits socks for the military. Probably my most valuable service as a home town patriot, is on the coast watch every other Wednesday. And, you wouldn’t believe how that turns out!
I also mail out ration coupon books. In fact, this week, I realized that someone is stealing and selling ration books from the mailboxes at empty houses. It’s sure to be a black market conspiracy. My friend, Jackson Jackson, and I will wait by the empty house tonight and we’ll catch the thief in the act.
Q: I can see how that might go wrong. Are you sure that’s safe?
Really, young lady! Where is your spirit of adventure?
Q: Okay, fair enough. Tell me why you think there are conspiracies and spies─
Oh, yes. Nazi spies. It’s that Sofia Rashmuller, the new gal at the First Church of the Evening Star and Everlasting Light. She’s a Nazi spy. Her dyed red hair is a dead giveaway.
Q: But your hair–
I beg your pardon! I do NOT dye my hair. I may freshen it from time to time with a henna rinse but I would never dye my hair. Fast women and European spies do that. I should know. I saw enough of them during WWI when I worked as an undercover agent for the USA. Of course, I was much younger then, but we saw some action, and I lived to tell about it.
Q: A WWI secret agent? Can you tell us about that?
Of course not! If I told you the details, I’d have to kill you.
Q: Really? So have you ever killed anyone? 
Don’t be ridiculous… Well, there was that one time… Never mind. Next question?
Q: So, what else might our readers find interesting in the Mrs. Odboddy mystery adventure?
Everything was rationed. Tires, shoes, food, gasoline, just everything. Imagine. Coffee was rationed to one pound per adult every six weeks! And the price of eggs! Actually, I’ve solved that problem. I’m getting six chickens this afternoon. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with them until Saturday, when my friend is building us a coop. Guess we’ll just have to stick them in the bathroom. Hope Ling-Ling doesn’t get obsessed with chicken tartare. (spoiler alert!)
Q: In the bathroom?How is that going to work?
Why not? They’re just chickens, after all. What could possibly go wrong?
Q: Um…
And I didn’t even mention my old WWI boyfriend coming back to town, wanting to reignite a romance. But, you’ll have to go to Amazon and buy the book if you want to know more about the ration book caper, stolen Hawaii money, chickens in the bathroom, and my old boyfriend. Life is very exciting in Newbury.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elaine is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers and Cat Writers Association. She lives in No. Calif with her husband and four house cats (the inspiration for her three humorous cozy cat mysteries, Black Cat’s Legacy, Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer, and Black Cat and the Accidental Angel).
Mrs. Odboddy’s character is based in no way on Elaine’s quirky personality. Two more Mrs. Odboddy adventures will publish in the near future. Many of Elaine’s short stories have appeared in magazines and multiple anthologies.

Keep up with Elaine:

Website | Amazon author page | Facebook

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

Character Interview: Heiress Deanna Randolph

With her mother in Europe, Deanna is staying with the Ballard family, who agree to chaperone her through the summer season and guide her toward an advantageous marriage proposal—or so her mother hopes. Relishing her new freedom, Deanna is more interested in buying one of the fashionable new bathing costumes, joining a ladies’ bicycling club, and befriending an actress named Amabelle Deeks, all of which would scandalize her mother.

Far more scandalous is the discovery of a young man bludgeoned to death on the conservatory floor at Bonheur, the Ballards’ sumptuous “cottage.” Deanna recognizes him as an actor who performed at the birthday fete for a prominent judge the night before. But why was he at Bonheur? And where is Amabelle?
Concerned her new friend may be in danger—or worse—Deanna enlists the help of her intrepid maid, Elspeth, and her former beau, Joe Ballard, to find Amabelle before the villain of this drama demands an encore.

Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess?      My name is Deanna Randolph, I’m eighteen, I live in Newport Island in 1895.  Everyone thinks my sister is perfect (except that she gets the migraine).  I love her and I guess that it’s good that everyone pays attention to her, because I get more freedom than I should.  That’s okay.  Because I like to do things that young ladies are not supposed to do.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?ˆ I get along with my maid Elspeth.  She’s kind of my best friend because we spend so much time together, and she doesn’t let me  get away with stuff and she helps me to stay brave.  Plus she loves the dime novel detective stories we read on the sly.  Nobody understand me like Elspeth does.
Q:  Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why? Joe Ballard and I have lots of “misunderstandings.”  He just doesn’t  want me to do things, he’s worried about my reputation.  I don’t know why.  He and I were supposed to get married.  And then he  left society to work on his inventions. How’s that for my reputation. Our fathers planned it, and I didn’t want to get married, but it was a little humiliating. I want to see the world and learn new things, and not be tied down to society’s demands until I’m older.  If even then.
Q:  Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author? She is such stickler.  Has to research everything.  I’m all ready to jump into some adventure and she leaves me mid-sentence, to check if it would really happen that way.  I guess that’s okay because I wouldn’t want to be an anachronism, but it is really annoying.
Q: What’s next for you?  In the next Newport Gilded Age Mystery, my friend Herbert  comes to town with a new motor car that he’s testing for the first motor car race in America in Chicago.  It riles some of the horse people and a murder leads to the  people who run the races  and threatens Herbert’s future and maybe even his life.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery Celebration Bay Mysteries, the Newport Gilded Age Mysteries, beginning with A Gilded Grave, as well as the Kate MacDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company mysteries.

As Shelley Noble, she is a NYTimes Bestselling author of women’s fiction, most recently, Whisper Beach.
A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. Shelley lives at the Jersey shore and loves puzzles, light houses and antique carousels. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.
For more about Shelley, please visit her website www.shelleyfreydont.com.

Twitter| Amazon author page | Facebook

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

Interview: Shelley Freydont, author of historical mystery A Golden Cage

>>> Win one of three copies of The Golden Cage–your choice, e-book or print. <<<

The author of A Gilded Grave returns to Newport, Rhode Island, at the close of the nineteenth century, where headstrong heiress Deanna Randolph must solve another murder among the social elite.
Cover
With her mother in Europe, Deanna is staying with the Ballard family, who agree to chaperone her through the summer season and guide her toward an advantageous marriage proposal—or so her mother hopes. Relishing her new freedom, Deanna is more interested in buying one of the fashionable new bathing costumes, joining a ladies’ bicycling club, and befriending an actress named Amabelle Deeks, all of which would scandalize her mother.
Far more scandalous is the discovery of a young man bludgeoned to death on the conservatory floor at Bonheur, the Ballards’ sumptuous “cottage.” Deanna recognizes him as an actor who performed at the birthday fete for a prominent judge the night before. But why was he at Bonheur? And where is Amabelle?
Concerned her new friend may be in danger—or worse—Deanna enlists the help of her intrepid maid, Elspeth, and her former beau, Joe Ballard, to find Amabelle before the villain of this drama demands an encore.

Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess?
A: My name is Deanna Randolph, I’m eighteen, I live in Newport Island in 1895. Everyone thinks my sister is perfect (except that she gets the migraine). I love her and I guess that it’s good that eveyone pays attention to her, because I get more freedom than I should. That’s okay. Because I like to do things that young ladies are not supposed to do.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best?
A: I get along with my maid Elspeth. She’s kind of my best friend because we spend so much time together, and she doesn’t let me get away with stuff and she helps me to stay brave. Plus she loves the dime novel detective stories we read on the sly. Nobody understand me like Elspeth does.
Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with?
A: Joe Ballard and I have lots of “misunderstandings.” He just doesn’t want me to do things, he’s worried about my reputation. I don’t know why. He and I were supposed to get married. And then he left society to work on his inventions. How’s that for my reputation. Our fathers planned it, and I didn’t want to get married, but it was a little humiliating. I want to see the world and learn new things, and not be tied down to society’s demands until I’m older. If even then.
Q: Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
A: She is such a  stickler. Has to research everything. I’m all ready to jump into some adventure and she leaves me mid sentence, to check if it would really happen that way. I guess that’s okay because I wouldn’t want to be an anachronism, but it is really annoying.
Q: What’s next for you?
In the next Newport Gilded Age Mystery, my friend Herbert comes to town with a new motor car that he’s testing for the first motor car race in America in Chicago. It riles some of the horse people and a murder leads to the people who run the races and threatens Herbert’s future and maybe even his life.
 

Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery, Celebration Bay Festival Mysteries, (Silent Knife, Trick or Deceit),the Katie McDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company mystery series. Her Newport Gilded Age Mystery series began in June 2015 with A Gilded Grave, followed in June 2016 with A Golden Cage.
Shelley loves puzzles of all kinds and when not writing or reading mysteries, she’s most likely working on a jigsaw, Sudoku, or crossword.
As Shelley Noble, she’s the author of the women’s fiction novels, Beach Colors, Stargazey Point, and Breakwater Bay as well as several novellas.
She lives at New Jersey Shore and loves to hear from readers.
 
Author Links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Nook

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

#Giveaway and interview: Rogues and Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction

>>Win one of three e-copies of Rogues and Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction <<<

Like any good Southern belle, Caledonia Culpepper was raised by her mama to be gracious, charming, witty, and above all, a devoted mother and loving wife, so she’s baffled when her marriage falls apart.

Book Cover
Wynona Baxter is a master of disguise but is often a ditzy airhead. A hit woman wannabe, when she’s hired for her first job in Goose Pimple Junction and things don’t go as planned, she’s forced to resort to Plan B. She’ll also need Plan C and D.
Crooked lawyers, restless husbands, a teenaged hoodlum – it seems there are rogues and rascals everywhere you look in Goose Pimple Junction.
When Caledonia and Wynona’s paths cross, they prove there isn’t a rogue or a rascal who can keep a good woman down. Mama always said there would be days like this . . .

Q: Amy, thanks for stopping by! Tell us a little about your main characters, if you would.
A: There are two protagonists in Rogues & Rascals. Caledonia is a lifelong resident of GPJ, a mom, and a southern belle through and through. Wynona has been thrust into the profession of assassin. The problem is, she’s not very bright and she doesn’t want to be a hit woman. Her first assignment is in GPJ, where she’s in for a little culture shock.
Q: How much of you is in either or both of your protagonists? How would you feel about them if you met them in real life?
A: There’s probably a little bit of me in Caledonia. Wynona and I don’t have much in common except in the brains department—neither of us has any. I would love to hang out with both ladies. They’d be a lot of fun.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A: Yes they do. You can read any of the books as a standalone, but you will know the characters better if you start with the first book.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: Um . . . possibly. I might have done that in Rogues & Rascals—several times. Maybe.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: I definitely take liberties. A lot of times, reviewers say, “That wouldn’t happen in real life. No Southern town is like that.” No, it wouldn’t, and no there isn’t. My books are fiction. I wanted the town and its people to be crazier than the average crazy. Some readers have said the town is a character itself in the book. That made me happy!
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Reese Witherspoon would be a great Caledonia. In a few years, Jennifer Lawrence would be a great Wynona. She’s a little too young right now. I can see Kathy Bates as Louetta. The rest are up for grabs!
Kathy_Bates_by_Gage_Skidmore
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: The best advice I’ve heard is to read the book out loud as you write and as you edit. Probably the worst advice was to write dialogue phonetically. I think a book reads better if you let the reader decide the voice of the character. In my opinion, spelling dialogue phonetically is okay occasionally, but it slows down the reader if you do it all the time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Metz
Amy Metz is the author of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series. She is a former first-grade teacher and the mother of two sons. When not actively engaged in writing, enjoying her family, or surfing Facebook or Pinterest, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. Amy lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Author Links
Website: http://authoramymetz.com
Blog: http://abluemillionbooks.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmyMetz
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authoramymetz
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AmyMetz
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Metz/e/B008NA07X4/
Amazon

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

Kindle Press picks up the latest Professor Molly mystery, The Blessed Event

Exciting news: The Blessed Event has been selected via Kindle Scout to be published by Kindle Press.
“You might wonder what my least-favorite student was doing in my living room. In a twist of fate that might seem hilarious if it happened to someone else, Davison was now my stepson.”
Thumbnail flying stork
 

 
 
Professor Molly Barda is looking forward to a quiet summer in Mahina, Hawai`i working on her research and adjusting to married life. But when a visit from her new husband’s relatives coincides with a murder, Molly wonders what she’s married into–and realizes she might have a killer under her roof.

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

#Giveaway and Character Interview: Kathi Corbin of Tea Cups and Carnage (A Tourist Trap Mystery)

>>>Enter to win one of two e-copies of Tea Cups and Carnage by Lynn Cahoon<<<

The kettle’s about to boil over . . .
The quaint coastal town of South Cove, California, is all abuzz about the opening of a new specialty shop, Tea Hee. But as Coffee, Books, and More owner Jill Gardner is about to find out, there’s nothing cozy about murder . .

Shop owner Kathi Corbin says she came to South Cove to get away from her estranged family. But is she telling the truth? And did a sinister someone from her past follow her to South Cove? When a woman claiming to be Kathi’s sister starts making waves and a dead body is found in a local motel, Jill must step in to clear Kathi’s name–without getting herself in hot water.

Q: Kathi, thanks for stopping by. Could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something they might not guess?
A: Hi, I’m Kathi Corbin, newcomer to South Cove, but truly a lady of the south. I’m from Texas and although I’m missing home and sweet tea, everyone here in South Cove has been so lovely, I’m definitely feeling welcome.
Something you may not know about me? I’m pretty much an open book. You all know about my years performing in pageants. I do love the evening gown competitions. Who wouldn’t love getting dressed up like a movie star on a red carpet for opening night. Of course, I’m a knockout in the bathing suit section as well.
But I guess what would surprise most of you was I was a complete and hopeless tomboy as a young girl. I swear, I could ride, rope, and castrate a calf faster than most of the hired hands my daddy brought on the ranch.
I also make a mean batch of Rocky Mountain Oysters.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?
A: The men of South Cove love me. And why wouldn’t they? (giggle) I mean, I’m probably the closest thing to a real Miss America that they’ve ever met. Of course, I was robbed of the crown due to that unfortunate incident, but if I’d been allowed to compete, I would have wiped the floor with those other girls. It’s just too bad that lovely Greg King is so attached to that bookstore owner, Jill’s her name. I’d like him to slap those cuffs on me some day. Yes, I can be a bad girl…
Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why?
A: That Darla woman from the winery. I swear, she’s about as friendly as a pit bull. I think she’d walk on someone’s grave to get the story for that little rag she calls a newspaper. I mean, really, what is there to report on in little, bitty South Cove. The place is heaven on the California coast.
And that older woman at the coffee shop. I think her name is Jackie. For some reason, she thinks we’re best friends. She’s always talking to me like she understands how hard it is to be a woman in today’s world. I don’t think she has a clue. I mean, not to be rude, but she’s old and I’m gorgeous. I don’t see how she can relate.
Q: Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
A: Oh, Lynn. I really want to lock her in a room and do a complete makeover. She’s got the most amazing eyes, but most days, she forgets to even put on mascara. I do enjoy working with her to report the happenings of South Cove. You can tell her anything. And unfortunately, sometimes while we were writing my story, I did.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Now that the shop is open, Tea Hee is my main priority. I want the business to grow and thrive. Maybe I’ll even set up a website where we can do on line orders. Every woman needs a little tea party in her life, don’t you agree?

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today bestselling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. Guidebook to Murder, book 1 of the series won the Reader’s Crown for Mystery Fiction in 2015. She’s also the author of the soon to be released, Cat Latimer series, with the first book, A STORY TO KILL, releasing in mass market paperback September 2016.She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies. Sign up for her newsletter at www.lynncahoon.com

Keep up with Lynn:

Website | Amazon author page | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

You’ve seen the meme. Here are some actual college administrator titles



By now you’ve likely seen the viral “University Title Generator” meme that parodies the culture of academic bureaucracy by listing made-up administrative titles such as “deputy vice president of the committee on community climate,” “principal deputy dean of the committee on learning affairs,” and “temporary lead deputy chancellor of facilities compliance of the task force on alumni service.”
At least, we’re pretty sure they’re made up.
But these aren’t. These actual administrative job titles have appeared over the last few months in academic help-wanted listings.
The number of administrators at American universities and colleges has more than doubled in the last 25 years, vastly outpacing the increase in enrollment. Read here about the perks that go to university administrators nationwide, and here about a backlash against administrator benefits at Massachusetts public colleges and universities, and the legislative investigation that has resulted.
University officials say their administrative payrolls have grown in response to parent expectations and government regulations, among other reasons.
Here are some examples of the jobs they’re filling.
Assistant director of affinity group leadership (University of Denver)
Constituent relationship management program manager (University of Massachusetts, Boston)
Educational talent search academic advisor (Harris Stowe State University)
Early career readiness and student employment program coordinator (University of Arizona)
Coordinator of community standards (Governors State University)
Academic success consultant (Creighton Medical School)
Academic success coordinator for peer-led instruction (Framingham State University)
Senior associate director for student engagement (Eastern Kentucky University)
Student involvement coordinator (North Carolina State University)
Senior associate director of student engagement (Columbia University)
Manager of employee communication and engagement (Seminole State College)
Assistant director of admission student volunteers (University of Pennsylvania)
Associate director of student conduct and community standards (University of Tennessee at Knoxville)
Director of institutional effectiveness (Wabash College)
Customer relationship management coordinator (University of Cincinnati)

Student journals and competitions coordinator (University of Colorado)
Student philanthropy manager (University of California, Berkeley)
Associate director of young alumni engagement (Kenyon College)
Assistant director for athletic event and guest services (Miami University)
Senior user experience analyst (University of Maryland University College)
Vice president for planning, analytics, and decision support (New York Institute of Technology)
Director of campus relations (University of Maryland)
Office concierge (University of Maryland University College)
 
from The Hechinger Report http://bit.ly/1TTjwqC

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

Hawai‘i Summer 2016 Bon Dance Schedule

It’s time to celebrate obon season in Hawai‘i! (If you only learn one dance, it should be this one.)

O‘ahu

JUNE

  • Saturday, June 4: Hawai‘i’s Plantation Village, 5:45–10 p.m., 677-0110
  • Friday, June 10: Pan Pacific Festival bon dance, 7–9 p.m. (tentative)
  • Saturday, June 18: ‘Ewa Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 681-5222
  • Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25: Honpa Hongwanji Hawai‘i Betsuin, 6–10:30 p.m., 536-7044
  • Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25: Wahiawā Hongwanji, 6:30–10 p.m., 622-4320

 

JULY

  • Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2: Mānoa Koganji, 5–10 p.m., 988-4905
  • Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2: Mō‘ili‘ili Hongwanji, 6–10:30 p.m., 949-1659
  • Friday, July 2: Kāne‘ohe Higashi Hongwanji, 6:30–10 p.m., 247-2661
  • Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9: Hale‘iwa Jodo Mission, 8–10:30 p.m., 637-4382
  • Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9: Koboji Shingon Mission, 7–10:30 p.m., 841-7033
  • Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9: Rissho Kosei-kai Hawai‘i Kyokai, 6:30–9:30 p.m., 455-3212
  • Saturday, July 9: Waipahu Hongwanji, 7 p.m., 677-4221
  • Sunday, July 10: Seicho-No-Ie Hawai‘i Jisso Center, 12:30–2:30 p.m., 677-4221
  • Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16: Jikoen Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 6 p.m., 845-3422
  • Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16: Shinshu Kyokai Mission, 7–10:30 p.m., 973-0150
  • Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16: Wahiawā Ryusenji Soto Mission, 7:30–10:30 p.m., 622-1429
  • Saturday, July 16: Kailua Hongwanji, 7 p.m., 262-4560
  • Saturday, July 16: Wai‘anae Hongwanji, 6:30 p.m., 677-4221
  • Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23: Hale‘iwa Shingon Mission, 7:30–10:30 p.m., 637-4423
  • Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23: Higashi Hongwanji Hawai‘i Betsuin, 7 p.m., 531-9088
  • Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30: Pālolo Higashi Hongwanji, 6:30–9:30 p.m., 732-1491

 

AUGUST 

  • Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6: Waipahu Soto Zen Temple Taiyoji, 7–10 p.m., 671-3103
  • Saturday, Aug. 6: Wailaua Hongwaji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 637-4395
  • Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13: Pearl City Hongwanji, 7–10 p.m., 455-1680
  • Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13: Shingon Shu Hawai‘i, 5–10 p.m., 941-5663
  • Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13: Soto Mission of ‘Aiea Taiheiji, 7–10:30 p.m., 488-6794
  • Friday, Aug. 19: O‘ahu Care Facility, TBA, 973-1900
  • Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20: Jodo Mission of Hawai‘i, 6–9:30 p.m., 949-3995
  • Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20: Mililani Hongwanji, 7–10:30 p.m. (625-0925)
  • Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20: Soto Mission of Hawai‘i Betsuin Shoboji, 7–10:30 p.m., 537-9409
  • Saturday, Aug. 20: Valley of the Temple Memorial Park, TBA
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: ‘Aiea Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 487-2626
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: Kapahulu Senior Center, 6–10 p.m., 737-1748
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: Nichiren Mission of Hawai‘i, 6–9 p.m., 595-3517

 

SEPTEMBER 

  • Saturday, Sept. 3: Okinawan Festival, 5:30–9 p.m., 676-5400
  • Saturday, Sept. 10: Honbushin International Center, 6–9:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 17: Autumn Okinawa Dance Festival at Hawai‘i Okinawa Center, 5:30–10:30 p.m., 676-5400

 

Big Island

JUNE

  • Saturday, June 4: Hawai‘i Japanese Center, 12 p.m., 934-9611
  • Saturday, June 11: Honomu Henjoji Mission, 7 p.m., 963-6308
  • Saturday, June 18: Keauhou Shopping Center (Kona Hongwanji), 6–10 p.m., 323-2993
  • Saturday, June 18: Pāpa‘ikou Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 964-1640
  • Saturday, June 25: Honomu Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 963-6302

 

JULY

  • Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2: Puna Hongwanji, 8 p.m. following 7 p.m. service, 966-9981
  • Saturday, July 2: Kohala Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 775-7532
  • Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9: Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin, 7–10:30 p.m., 961-6677
  • Saturday, July 9: Kohala Jodo Mission, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 889-5456
  • Saturday, July 9: Kona Daifukuji Soto Mission, 7–10 p.m., 322-3524
  • Saturday, July 9: Paauilo Hongwanji, 7:30 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 775-7232
  • Saturday, July 16: Hilo Meisho-in, 8 p.m. following 7 p.m. service, 935-6996
  • Saturday, July 16: Honokaa Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 5:30 p.m. service, 775-7232
  • Saturday, July 16: Keei Hongwanji (Kona Hongwanji), 7 p.m., 323-2993
  • Saturday, July 23: Hilo Hooganji Mission, 7:30 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 935-8331
  • Saturday, July 23: Kona Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6:30 p.m. lantern parade, 323-2993
  • Saturday, July 23: Papaaloa Hongwanji, 6 p.m. following 5 p.m. service, 962-6340
  • Saturday, July 30: Hilo Taishoji Soto Mission, 7 p.m., 935-8407

 

AUGUST 

  • Saturday, Aug. 6: Kurtistown Jodo Mission, 8 p.m. following 7 p.m. service, 966-9777
  • Saturday, Aug. 6: Hāwī Jodo Mission, 6 p.m. following 5:30 p.m., 775-0965
  • Saturday, Aug. 13: Hāmākua Jodo Mission, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 889-5456
  • Saturday, Aug. 13: Hilo Higashi Hongwanji Mission, 7 p.m., 935-8968
  • Saturday, Aug. 13: Kona Koyasan Daishiji Mission, 7 p.m., 324-1741
  • Friday, Aug. 19: Life Care Center of Hilo, 6 p.m., 959-9151
  • Saturday, Aug. 20: Hakalau Jodo Mission, 7 p.m., 966-9777
  • Saturday, Aug. 20: Kamuela Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 775-7232
  • Sunday, Aug. 21: Pahala Hongwanji Mission, 5–9 p.m., 928-8254
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: Honohina Hongwanji, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 963-6032
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: Puna Hongwanji Pahoa Shibu, 7:30 p.m., 966-9981

 

Kaua‘i

JUNE

  • Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4: Līhu‘e Hongwanji, 7:30 p.m., 245-6262
  • Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11: Waimea Shingon Mission, 7:30 p.m., 388-1854
  • Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18: Kapa‘a Jodo Mission, 7:30 p.m., 822-4319
  • Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25: West Kaua‘i Hongwanji Waimea Temple, 7:30 p.m., 338-1537

 

JULY 

  • Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9: Kapa‘a Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 7:30 p.m., 822-4667
  • Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16: Waimea Higashi Hongwanji, 7:30–10:30 p.m., 338-1847
  • Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23: Kaua‘i Soto Zen Temple Zenshuji, 7:30–10:30 p.m., 335-3521
  • Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30: Koloa Jodo Mission, 7:30 p.m., 742-6735

 

AUGUST

  • Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6, West Kaua‘i Hongwanji Hanapepe Temple, 7:30 p.m., 338-1537

 

Maui/Lāna‘i/Moloka‘i

JUNE

  • Saturday, June 4: Lahaina Shingon Mission, 7:30 p.m. following 6:30 p.m. service, 661-0466
  • Saturday, June 11: Pu‘nnēnē Nichiren Mission, 8 p.m. following 7 p.m. service, 871-4831
  • Friday, June 17: Wailuku Jodo Mission, 8 p.m. following 7 p.m. service, 244-0066
  • Saturday, June 18: Wailuku Shingon Mission, 7:30 p.m. following 6:30 p.m. service, 242-5618

 

JULY 

  • Saturday, July 2: Lahaina Jodo Mission, 6:30 p.m. following service, 661-4304
  • Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9: Pā‘ia Mantokuji Soto Mission, 7:30–10:30 p.m., 579- 8051
  • Saturday, July 9: Lāna‘i Hongwanji, 6 p.m., 565-6151
  • Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16: Kahului Hongwanji, 7:30 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 871-4732
  • Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23: Makawao Hongwanji, 7:30 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 572-7229
  • Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30: Wailuku Hongwanji, 8 p.m. following 6:45 p.m. service, 244-0406
  • Saturday, July 30 : Guzeiji Soto Mission of Moloka‘i, 6–9 p.m., 537-9409

 

AUGUST

  • Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6: Lahaina Hongwanji, 7:30 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 661-0640
  • Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20: Kahului Jodo Mission, 7:30 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 244-0066
  • Saturday, Aug. 20: Paia Rinzai Zen Mission, 7 p.m. following 6 p.m. service, 579-9921
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: Kula Shofukuji Shingon Mission, 7:30 p.m. following 6:30 p.m. service, 661-0466

 

SEPTEMBER

  • Saturday, Sept. 10, Hāna Obon Festival, 5:00 p.m.

 
*Times and dates are subject to change
Source: Hawai‘i Summer 2016 Bon Dance Schedule – Honolulu Magazine – June 2016 – Hawaii

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List
Posted on

Character Interview: Éclair and Present Danger: An Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery

The first book in the delicious new Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series from national bestselling author Laura Bradford.

Book Cover Eclair

With her rent rising faster than her pie crust, bakery owner Winnie Johnson had hoped to be rescued by an inheritance from her wealthy friend and neighbor Gertrude Redenbacher. Instead all she inherits is the widow’s hostile hissing tabby, Lovey, and a vintage ambulance, restored by Gertrude’s late husband. As her dream crumbles, Winnie makes her final delivery—a peach pie to an elderly widower. But she finds Bart Wagner lying on his kitchen floor, smothered by a pillow.
To comfort her frightened and grieving neighbors, Winnie comes to the rescue with her baked goods—and an idea is born: dessert delivery via her ambulance and a new business called the Emergency Dessert Squad. When she’s not speeding to the scenes of dessert emergencies, Winnie is also racing to track down Bart’s killer—before she needs to call a real ambulance for the next victim…

Winnie Johnson herself stopped by Island Confidential to talk about her life and adventures, and to dish (ahem) on some of the other characters.
Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess?
My name is Winnie Johnson. When you hear that name, you probably think I’m an elderly person, but I’m not. I’m actually 34. What’s interesting is that most of my friends—my true friends—are elderly. I enjoy their wisdom and their candor, though, between you and me, I wish they’d show a little less candor about my love life (or lack, thereof).
My biggest passion in life is baking. It’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. I get a kick out of turning a person’s day around with something I’ve baked.
I’ll never forget the day I opened my bakery, Delectable Delights. It was a dream come true. People hired me to bake their children’s birthday cakes, their book club’s pastries, their office party’s treats, you name it.
But now, just a few years later, that dream has turned into a nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to bake. And I still love my bakery. But the landlord has raised my rent so high, I can’t stay open any longer.
I thought I had a shot when I got word I was named in Gertrude Redenbacher’s will, but, sadly, a vintage ambulance and a cat that hisses non-stop (at me) wasn’t exactly the bequest I needed.
But hey…I’ll figure it out. One way or the other.
 Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?
Don’t tell Renee, my best friend and employee (or, rather, my soon to be let go employee), but I think I’m going to have to say Mr. Nelson for this one. Mr. Nelson is the elderly man who lives downstairs. He’s virtually deaf (though somehow he can always hear the sound of Renee’s stilettos on the front porch) and has a penchant for playing tricks on people (I can’t tell you how many times he’s gotten me with the old whoopee cushion gag), but he’s also the best listener I’ve ever known.
Q:  Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why?
Right now, I’d have to say my biggest issue is with Nick Batkas, the man who is so hell bent on turning downtown Silver Lake into some sort of happening area, he’s pulled the proverbial rug right out from under my bakery.
Q:  Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
Laura Bradford? She’s okay, actually. She lets me do my thing without getting in the way and she’s not amused by Renee’s repeated innuendos regarding my checkered pet-owning past.
It helps, of course, that she’s responsible for the demise of a few goldfish in her past, as well…
Q: What’s next for you?
I’m hoping to make my Emergency Dessert Squad the talk of not only Silver Lake, but the surrounding towns, as well. And I’m hoping this thing with Jay Morgan (the oh so cute business professor at Silver Lake College) is real.  Mr. Nelson and Renee are sure it is. But Jay’s teenage daughter, Caroline, is determined it’s not…
 
 
 

Laura Bradford

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a child, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do or be anything else. Today, Laura is the national bestselling author of several mystery series, including the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Amish Mysteries, the Jenkins & Burns Mysteries, and the upcoming Tobi Tobias Mystery Series. She is a former Agatha Award nominee, and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. A graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, baking, and being an advocate for those living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Author Links
Website: www.laurabradford.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/laurabradfordauthor
Twitter:  @bradfordauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/laurabrad4d/
Purchase Links:
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
Amazon  
 

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

Blog  | Facebook  | GoodReads | LinkedIn | Twitter | Mailing List