Tag: Frankie Bow

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Spotlight: Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor

“If Janet Evanovich and Maeve Binchy wrote a book together, Murder in an Irish Village would be the result. The Irish setting rings with authenticity and Siobhan O’Sullivan is a character to savor. She’s funny, feisty, and fearless. I want her to be my new best friend. I also want another book by Carlene O’Connor to read. This one is delicious fun.”—Laurien Berenson, author of Live and Let Growl

In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Natalie’s Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors, enjoy some brown bread and tea, and get the local gossip. Nowadays twenty-two-year-old Siobhán O’Sullivan runs the family bistro named for her mother, along with her five siblings, after the death of their parents in a car crash almost a year ago.
It’s been a rough year for the O’Sullivans, but it’s about to get rougher. One morning, as they’re opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table, dressed in a suit as if for his own funeral, a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest.
With the local garda suspecting the O’Sullivans, and their business in danger of being shunned–murder tends to spoil the appetite–it’s up to feisty redheaded Siobhán to solve the crime and save her beloved brood.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR CARLENE O’CONNOR AND MURDER IN AN IRISH VILLAGE

“A smart whodunnit in an idyllic locale. I dare you not to be charmed by sleuth Siobhan and her siblings, the O’Sullivan Six.”—Barbara Ross, author of Musseled Out
“A delightful, funny, fast-paced romp of a book. O’Connor has written a vivid evocation of life in a small Irish town, an evocation replete with sharp characterizations and dialogue real enough to make you believe you’re sitting in an Irish pub. A satisfying read that will keep you entertained from the first to the last page.”—Isis Crawford, author of A Catered Tea Party
“The cheeky and close-knit repartee among the O’Sullivans…[and] their antics are sure to appeal to cozy fans, who will also appreciate the warmth and spirit of the people of Kilbane.”– Publishers Weekly
“The first in this new series set in an Irish village delivers charm, warmth, and a smartly plotted mystery. Sprinkled with Irish words and phrases, the dialogue is authentic. The plot unfolds nicely, with several layers linking the current crime to an earlier accident. Siobhan is strong-willed and tenacious, while also being likable and funny. A winning debut.”– RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

About The Author  
Carlene O’Connor comes from a long line of Irish storytellers, or professional liars as she prefers to call herself. Her great grandmother emigrated from Ireland to America during The Troubles, and the stories have been flowing ever since. She has dual citizenship and divides her time between New York and the Emerald Isle. Of all the places across the pond she’s wandered, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired by the town to create Kilbane, County Cork.

 
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Looking for more small town mystery? get THE CASE OF THE DEFUNCT ADJUNCT

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This is What Long-Term Stress Is Doing To Your Short-Term Memory – PsyBlog

A toxic boss or a workplace bully can do more than ruin your day.
Long-term stress damages the brain’s short-term memory system, new research finds.
Chronic stress leads to a build-up of macrophages in the the brain, researchers found.

It took four weeks for the immune response to reduce and the memory problems to resolve.
Read more: This is What Long-Term Stress Is Doing To Your Short-Term Memory – PsyBlog

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5 Questions with Frankie Bow – I Read What You Write!

Today I am sharing Frankie Bow’s answers to 5 Questions. Ms. Bow is the author of several Cozy Mysteries. You can read our 5 star review of Sinful Science Here
1. What does it mean to you to be called an author?

Frankie- People have different ideas about what it means to be a writer versus an author, and which is better. K.M. Weiland’s site is called “Helping Writers Become Authors,” which implies that author is the preferred state of being. Dean Wesley Smith, on the other hand, defines a “writer” as being active and forward-looking, already working on the next book while the “author” rests on his or her laurels. Rather than step into the middle of that debate, I’m just happy that I have the opportunity to write entertaining stories, and share them with other people.
Lian- That is why I love this question. It means something different to everyone.
Read More: 5 Questions with Frankie Bow – I Read What You Write!

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From Carolyn Arnold's new mystery adventure series: City of Gold

Carolyn Arnold is launching a brand-new adventure series!

Modern-day archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor travels the globe with his two closest friends to unearth treasure and discover legends the world has all but forgotten. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century!

Book #1 is City of Gold.

Finding the Inca’s lost City of Gold would be the discovery of a lifetime. But failing could mean death…

Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.
CITY-OF-GOLD cover
Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse—the City of Gold.
Now Matthew and his two closest friends have to find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.
 

 
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About The Author  
CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international bestselling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town, but that never kept her from dreaming big. On par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives outside Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
For more information and a FREE book offer, visit her website:
www.carolynarnold.net
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Interview: Clea Simon, The Ninth Life

Introducing Blackie, an unusual feline hero, and his companion Care in the first of this dark new mystery series.
Three figures, shadowy against the light. That’s all I remember from my past life, as I am dragged, dripping and half-drowned, from the flood. My saviour, a strange, pink-haired girl, is little help. She can barely care for herself, let alone the boy she loves. And although she has sworn to avenge the murder of her mentor, she must first escape the clutches of drug dealers, murderers and thieves. I would repay her kindness if I could. But we are alone in this blighted city – and I am a cat.
NINTH LIFE
The past is an enigma to Blackie, the voice of Clea Simon’s dark new mystery. Combining elements of feline fantasy and cozy whodunit, The Ninth Life introduces this unusual hero and his companion, Care: two small creatures in a nightmarish urban landscape, fighting for their lives, and for the lives and memories of those they love.

>>>Win an autographed hardcover copy of The Ninth Life!<<<

Q: It was only last August that we were here chatting about Code Grey.  Welcome back and congratulations on The Ninth Life, which is a bit of a change in tone. Can you tell us about your protagonist?
A: “The Ninth Life” really has two protagonists, as the series name – A Blackie and Care Mystery – indicates. My narrator is Blackie, a feral black cat who observes the world around him closely, particularly as it affects Care, a pink-haired homeless girl whom he is strangely bonded to.
Q: How much of you is in Blackie and Care? How would you feel about them if you met them in real life?
A: Well, I’m neither a cat nor homeless, but there’s certainly some of me in both of these. In a way, Blackie is in the author’s role. Not only does he narrate the story, he’s in the position of watching what’s going on although he is unable to explain things to Care or to warn her. Meanwhile, if Blackie is the mind behind what’s going on, Care is in some ways the heart of the book – she’s a girl on her own in a very tough world. I worry about her!
Q: Will Blackie and Care change and evolve throughout the series?
A: This is the first book in the Blackie and Care series, so we’ll have to wait and see. But I do like to have my characters grow and evolve. People do, and so I think fictional people should too – readers would get sick of seeing the characters they are fond of making the same mistakes over and over again, wouldn’t they? I can tell you that both Blackie and Care learn a lot in this first outing. In particular, Blackie comes to understand something about his true nature.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: Of course! That’s the joy of writing mysteries. But you have to keep two things in mind: the first is that you want the reader to sympathize with the victim to some extent. Otherwise, why would anyone want to solve the mystery? And therefore your victim can’t be someone too awful. The other thing to keep in mind is that death and murder are very serious. Even in fiction, I believe we have to respect how serious a crime murder is.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
My settings are as realistic as I can make them – always! – even if my characters are not always strictly speaking like people you would meet on the street. But while some of my books are based in real places (the Dulcie and Theda books are based in Cambridge, Massachusetts), “The Ninth Life” is set in a fictional city, which I don’t identify. But it is based on real places – specifically parts of Boston, New York, and New Orleans, although the geography is different from any of these. I want it to look and feel real. And sound and smell real, too.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who gets cast?
A: I haven’t figured that out for “The Ninth Life” yet. I know I want Angelina Jolie for Pru Marlowe and Clare Danes for Dulcie Schwartz. I think I want Bagheera from “The Jungle Book” for Blackie, but he’s a fictional character too…
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: “Write what you know” is both the best and the worst advice, I think. On one hand, you have to be able to visualize what you are writing about. You have to see the back of the buildings and know what the mud smells like when the puddles start to dry, even if your character is only walking down the sidewalk. In that way, you have to know your setting, just like you need to know your characters – what makes them tick and how they will react under pressure. If you don’t know these things, you won’t be able to write convincingly about them, to make the reader see and feel and relate to them as you do. But if you only write what you have experienced then you are limited to your real life. You can know things that you’ve only imagined – but you have to take the time and energy to imagine them fully. To think about contingencies – the if/then possibilities – and realize that not everything may be as neat and nice as you had originally wanted! So while “write what you know” can be good advice, it can also be very limiting. I think much better advice would be: know what you write! And if you don’t know it before you start writing, then be willing to learn!
Q: I hope you’ll come back to tell us a little more about these books when they’re available.
If I may, I’d like to close with a question of my own: What do you think about Blackie and Care? I’d love to hear! You can get in touch with my from my website http://www.cleasimon.com or on my Facebook author page at https://www.facebook.com/clea.simon.author
 

About The Author

Clea Simon is the author of 19 cozies in the Theda Krakow, Dulcie Schwartz, and Pru Marlowe pet noir series. The latter two are ongoing and include her most recent books, Code Grey (Severn House) and When Bunnies Go Bad (Poisoned Pen Press). The Ninth Life, the first book in her Blackie & Care mysteries, a darker series, will be published by Severn House on March 1. A former journalist and nonfiction author, she lives in Somerville, Mass., with her husband, the writer Jon Garelick, and their cat Musetta. She can be reached at http://www.cleasimon.com
Keep up with Clea
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Want to get promoted, ladies? Save up for platform shoes and voice coaching

PAFF_021116_BackdoorBacklash_newsfeatureAsking for a promotion, negotiating for a raise, or speaking up about concerns may help a male employee get ahead, but a female employee could easily end up labeled as “bossy” or worse for the exact same behavior. Research suggests that many women rightly worry that being “too aggressive” may result in backlash from their colleagues and supervisors.
This double-standard may help explain why women across the globe still struggle to gain leadership positions and pay parity with their male peers.
“Management and supervisory positions are overwhelmingly held by men. Within each sector men are more often promoted than women, and paid better as a consequence. This trend culminates at the very top, where amongst CEOs less than 4% are women,” according to the European Union’s Commission on Justice.
A large body of research suggests that people tend to penalize others for violating behavioral norms. Beliefs about appropriate roles for men and women often encourage men to be strong and assertive, and women to be warm and nurturing. Both men and women risk being socially penalized for violating these prescribed gender roles.
For example, Yale University researcher Victoria Brescoll has found that women are frequently penalized for engaging in the assertive behaviors necessary for professional success. In a 2008 study published in Psychological Science, Brescoll and colleagues found that men received a boost in their perceived status after expressing anger. On the other hand, “women who expressed anger were consistently accorded lower status and lower wages, and were seen as less competent.”
However, a new meta-analysis suggests that there are ways for women to avoid some of this workplace backlash. Study authors Melissa Williams (Emory University) and Larissa Tiedens (Stanford University) designed a meta-analysis of 71 studies examining gender, dominance, and backlash.
Consistent with previous research, they found that, compared to men, women were much more likely to be punished for showing dominance behaviors. That is, assertive behaviors like asking for a raise or talking during a meeting can carry substantial professional risk for women.
They also found that although dominant men tend to get a professional boost, women often pay a price in “likability.” Being dominant did not hurt perceptions of women’s competence, but it did make people like them less. Importantly, Williams and Tiedens found that likability can be an even more important factor than competence for getting hired.
“Male leaders are able to express dominance—without incurring liking penalties—in ways that female leaders are not. Past research has established, for instance, that employees must be seen as likable as well as skilled to be hired or promoted— competence alone is insufficient,” Williams and Tiedens explain in the journal Psychological Bulletin.
But the researchers found that not all forms of dominance led to backlash. Interestingly, the results suggested that implicit forms of dominance, such as body language or facial expressions, did not harm women’s status.
“There appears to be no need, for instance, for leaders to shy away from taking a commanding presence in a meeting, such as by standing tall and using a loud voice,” Williams and Tiedens write.
The researchers admit that this is not a solution to the systemic problem of gender bias. However, Williams and Tiedens hope that these results will provide women with tactics – such as using dominant body language – that can help them achieve professional goals without incurring social costs.
 
References
Brescoll, V. L., & Uhlmann, E. L. (2008). Can an angry woman get ahead? Status conferral, gender, and expression of emotion in the workplace. Psychological Science, 19(3), 268-275. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02079.x
Williams, M. J., & Tiedens, L. Z. (2016). The subtle suspension of backlash: A meta-analysis of penalties for women’s implicit and explicit dominance behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 165. doi: 10.1037/bul0000039
from Association for Psychological Science » Minds for Business http://bit.ly/1o7TyYo

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Interview and Giveaway: N.J. Thames, Happy Homicides, Thirteen Cozy Mysteries

Love can be deadly. As proven by these traditional mysteries, cunningly crafted by thirteen bestselling and award-winning authors. Nearly 500-pages of heart-warming, brain puzzling, and character-driven reads. Your purchase includes a free gift, a file with recipes and craft ideas sure to put you in a romantic mood any time of the year!

>>>Enter here to win a dozen red roses<<<

Included in the anthology are:
Cara Mia Delgatto and the Stupid Cupid– (Joanna Campbell Slan) Cara hopes to find the man of her dreams. Instead she gets caught up in a lover’s nightmare.
Bones and Arrows by Carolyn Haines—Sarah Delaney Booth and her partner Tinkie Armstrong tackle a thieving Cupid.
Missing Jacket by Randy Rawls—A two-timing husband hires a retired cop to retrieve a stolen gift. But nothing is as it seems!
Murder at Catmmando Mountain by Anna Celeste Burke—A murder at a theme park puts Georgina “Georgie” Shaw at risk, when the killer sets Georgie up to take the fall. Will the hunky detective assigned to the case believe her plea of innocence?
And today’s interview guest, Nancy Jill Thames, author of Teddy Saves Christmas.  When Jillian Bradley finds herself alone for the holidays, her dog Teddy latches onto a homeless woman with a dangerous secret. Jillian is forced to get involved. Can she find a way to save her new friend in time for a Merry Christmas?

 

 
 

 
Q: Nancy, thanks for stopping by.  Can you tell us something about Jillian Bradley, the heroine of Teddy Saves Christmas?
A: Jillian Bradley is a feisty garden columnist for the San Francisco Enterprise living in Clover Hills, a small Bay Area bedroom community. Since she’s widowed and childless she takes her Yorkie, Teddy, with her wherever she goes which makes some consider her eccentric. Jillian does not mind at all. She knows who she is and what she stands for. Truth, justice, and the American way fits her to a T. Jillian has a great tendency to root for the underdog, particularly when she believes the wrong person has been accused of murder. Serving afternoon tea to her garden club friends is her all-time favorite thing to do besides gardening and collecting fine art. Although she’s considered well-to-do, it does not prevent her from being generous when the need arises.
Q: How much of you is in Jillian? How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A: : I once left a stroller with three children at the mall and chased down a young man who had violated me. Some would call that not being afraid of anything which is exactly the way Jillian Bradley is. I created a protagonist that would live my dream life, which is pretty close at the moment except I am married with four grown children and seven grandchildren, so far.
I do serve afternoon tea, but instead of collecting fine art I do my own paintings or have works my mother painted. Unlike me, Jillian does not play the piano. I think if I were to meet Jillian Bradley in real life I would find her gracious, but strong-willed, which some personalities find difficult to be around for a long period of time.
Q: That stroller episode sounds like it could be a story in itself! I see that you’ve just released Book Ten of the Jillian Bradley Series, Murder at the Empress Hotel. Have your characters changed throughout consecutive books ?
A: My characters do change and evolve throughout the series. Jillian only grows more like herself while her closest companions, Walter and Cecilia Montoya have gone from him being a hotel valet and she a housekeeper at the same hotel to him being a homicide detective and she working as a journalist for the Half Moon Bay Review.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: Others have suggested possible victims but I only create victims from my imagination, they are never based on anyone I know.
Q: How realistic are your settings? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: : The settings are hallmarks of my books since many of them take place in actual resorts and hotels where I have been privileged to stay. Perhaps one day I can take liberties if my imagination allows. For now I write true to life, with the exception of changing the names of the actual place where Jillian lives and some nearby communities.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Kim Cattrall for Jillian, Christian Bale for Walter, and Emily Blunt for Cecilia.
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: The worst advice I’ve heard is from the first book I read on how to write a mystery. It said if one desires to be an author they should immediately turn and run the other way.
On the other hand, the best advice I’ve read is to never give up – just keep going, and growing, and getting better at being a writer/author/publisher/marketer.

About The Author  

Nancy Jill Thames was born to write mysteries. From her early days as the neighborhood storyteller to the Amazon Author Watch Bestseller List, she’s always had a vivid imagination and loves to solve problems – perfect for plotting whodunits. In 2010, she published her first mystery “Murder in Half Moon Bay,” introducing the well-loved protagonist Jillian Bradley and clue-sniffing Yorkie “Teddy.” When not plotting Jillian’s next perilous adventure, Nancy Jill travels between Texas, California, and Georgia finding new ways to spoil her grandchildren, playing classical favorites on her baby grand, or having afternoon tea with friends. She lives with her husband in Texas and is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) CenTex Chapter.
Visit: nancyjillthames.com
Or contact: [email protected]
Find out about all of the Happy Homicides 2 authors
Joanna Campbell Slan | Teresa Trent | Neil Plakcy | Elaine Viets | Annie Adams | Camille Minichino | Kathi Daley  | Nancy Jill Thames | Linda Gordon Hengerer | Carolyn Haines | Randy Rawls | Anna Celeste Burke | Maggie Toussaint

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Sinfull Science reviewed on Back Porchervations #review #giveaway

Protected witnesses and gun-toting grannies aren’t the only things going down in Sinful. There are trips into the bayou and a swamp rat festival, to name but two. In fact, the citizenry of Sinful remind me of the folks who live in my neck of the woods in Kentucky. Blunt or not, they say what they mean…
This novella was a quick, interesting read and I really mean it in the best of ways when I wish more ‘Miss Fortune’ for everyone!
 
Source: Back Porchervations: Sinful Science by Frankie Bow – #review #giveaway

Sinful Science is now .99 for a limited time

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Interview: Loretta Ross, author of Death & The Brewmaster’s Widow

They call it “the Brewmaster’s Widow”; the abandoned brewery where Death Bogart’s brother died in an arson fire.
With his girlfriend, Wren Morgan, Death goes home to St. Louis to take on a deeply personal mystery. When Randy Bogart went into the Einstadt Brewery, he left his broken badge behind at the firehouse. So why did the coroner find one on his body? Every answer leads to more questions. Why did the phony badge have the wrong number? Who set the brewery fire? What is the connection between Randy’s death and the mysterious Cherokee Caves, where the opulent playground of 19th century beer barons falls into slow decay?
Not understanding how and why he lost his brother is breaking the ex-Marine’s heart. But the Brewmaster’s Widow is jealous of her secrets. Prising them loose could cost Death and Wren both their lives.


Q: Loretta, thanks for stopping by! Tell us about the protagonists, Wren and…Death? 
A: The female lead, Wren Morgan, is an auctioneer who works for a family-owned auction business in the small town where she grew up. She’s a very stable individual, with a strong network of friends and family members, and she’s intelligent, kind-hearted, self-sufficient, and protective of those she cares about.
The male main character, Death Bogart, is a disabled Marine combat vet turned private eye and part-time bounty hunter. He went through a lot before and during the first book and that’s left him more vulnerable. He still thinks of himself as this big, strong, tough guy, but the reality is that he’s facing new challenges and basically having to reinvent himself.
Q: How much of you is in Wren–or even Death? How would you feel about them if you met them in real life?
A: Gosh, that’s tough to answer. I think we always put a lot of ourselves in any character. I think maybe Wren is someone I wish I was. She has a lot of my foibles, like driving carefully and getting lost a lot. And a lot of the random, oddball stories I tell about her are things that have actually happened to me. On the other hand, she’s more confident than I am, and a lot better organized.
I think if I met them, I’d like both Wren and Death a lot.
Q: Do Wren and Death change and evolve throughout the series?
A: Yes, they do, both as individuals and as a couple. They met in the first book and now, in the second, they’re going together. That relationship is going to continue to grow.
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 certainly. That’s what obnoxious people are for, right? Inspiration?
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: The series is set in and around the town of East Bledsoe Ferry, in Rives County, Missouri. That town and county are both fictional, but both are based on the area where I live. This particular book, Death and the Brewmaster’s Widow, is set in St. Louis. I researched the area and tried to be as faithful to the general location as I could, but you couldn’t use it for a map reference. For example, one of the things mentioned in the book is the Lemp and Cherokee cave system. That does exist and its history is as I described it, but the location where Death and Wren enter the caves is entirely fictitious and I took liberties with the layout of the actual caves.
cherok1
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: I’m not very good with actors and actresses, as I watch very little television and rarely see a movie. I do love the TV show Supernatural and of course Jensen Ackles is a fantastic actor, so I kind of think it would be fun to see him play Death and for his real-life wife, Danneel Harris, to play Wren.
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: The worst advice was from a critique group that I belonged to years ago. There was one member who would count the words in every sentence and then mark them as WRONG if they didn’t fall within a certain range. It’s the same as people who say that you should never use adverbs or never split infinitives. In fact, there are no hard and fast rules. With the right author and the right circumstances, almost anything can work.
The best advice, and I’ve gotten it from multiple sources, is simply to read widely and just keep writing. That’s the only way to improve.
 

About The Author

Loretta Ross is a writer and historian who lives and works in rural Missouri. She is an alumna of Cottey College and holds a BA in archaeology from the University of Missouri – Columbia. She has loved mysteries since she first learned to read.

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Spotlight: Death of an Alchemist by Mary Lawrence

In the mid sixteenth century, Henry VIII sits on the throne, and Bianca Goddard tends to the sick and suffering in London’s slums, where disease can take a life as quickly as murder. . .

For years, alchemist Ferris Stannum has devoted himself to developing the Elixir of Life, the reputed serum of immortality. Having tested his remedy successfully on an animal, Stannum intends to send his alchemy journal to a colleague in Cairo for confirmation. Instead he is strangled in his bed and his journal is stolen.
Book Cover
As the daughter of an alchemist herself, Bianca is well acquainted with the mystical healing arts. As her husband, John, falls ill with the sweating sickness, she dares to hope Stannum’s journal could contain the secret to his recovery. But first she must solve the alchemist’s murder. As she ventures into a world of treachery and deceit, Stannum’s death proves to be only the first in a series of murders–and Bianca’s quest becomes a matter of life and death, not only for her husband, but for herself.

Mary Lawrence
 

About The Author 

Mary Lawrence studied biology and chemistry, graduating from Indiana University with a degree in Cytotechnology. She won the Celtic Heart Golden Claddagh Award for historical fiction, and was a finalist in both the RWA® Golden Heart contest, and the Gotham Young Adult Novel Discovery competition. Along with writing and farming, Lawrence works as a cytologist near Boston. She lives in Maine. The Alchemist’s Daughter is the first book in the Bianca Goddard Mystery series.

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