Tag: Mystery | Page 6

January 21, 2018

First in a new cozy series: Murder of a Good Man by Teresa Trent

When Nora Alexander drives into Piney Woods, Texas, to fulfill her dying mother’s last wish, she has no idea what awaits her. First she is run off the road, then the sealed letter she delivers turns out to be a scathing rebuke to the town’s most beloved citizen and favored candidate for Piney Woods Pioneer: Adam Brockwell. Next thing you know, Adam has been murdered in a nasty knife attack.

Suspicion instantly falls on Nora, one of the last people to see him alive. After all, everyone in Piney Woods loved him. Or did they? Nora learns that her mother had a complicated past she never shared with her daughter. Told not to leave town by Tuck the flirty sheriff, Nora finds a job with Tuck’s Aunt Marty trying to get the rundown Tunie Hotel back in the black. The old hotel was Piney Woods’ heart and soul in its heyday as an oil boomtown. Now the secrets it harbors may be the key to getting Nora off the hook. She’s going to need to solve the mystery quickly to avoid arrest, or worse: becoming the killer’s next victim.

Character Interview: Nora Alexander

Nora, welcome to Island Confidential. Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Nora Alexander and I have recently lost my mother. Upon her death I found a letter she had written to a man in Piney Woods, Texas. Texas? Really? Anyway, I took off for a state I had never been to and tracked this man down. From what I could figure, it must have been a love letter, because why else would it concern my mother in her final days?

Who’s your favorite character in Murder of a Good Man?

Luckily, when I hit town, I found a room at the Piney Woods Bed and Breakfast and met Tatty and Ed Tovar. They are the owners of the B&B and Tatty has a wonderful gift of smoothing things over. Having Tatty and her husband Ed around has provided a home away from home for me.

Anyone you’re not so fond of?

Tuck Watson is the law around this town and he is determined to arrest me. For what, I can’t tell you right now, but the man is infuriating, and handsome, but infuriating!

Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author, Teresa?

So, she writes my scenes and then rewrites them and then rewrites them again. Some days I feel like I’m on a loop that can’t stop repeating. I guess I like the scene better when she’s finished, but gee whiz, some days I want her to just give it a rest!

What’s next for you?

Well, I have some big changes in this book, and I can’t tell you too much without giving it away…but…it has a lot to do with cats.

Teresa Trent lives in Houston, Texas and is an award-winning mystery writer. She writes the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series, is a regular contributor to the Happy Homicides Anthologies. Teresa is happy to add her Henry Park Mystery Series to her publishing credits with Color Me Dead, the first book in the series. Teresa has also won awards for her work in short stories where she loves to dabble in tales that are closer to the Twilight Zone than small town cozies. When Teresa isn’t writing, she is a full-time caregiver for her son and teaches preschoolers music part-time. Her favorite things include spending time with family and friends, waiting for brownies to come out of the oven, and of course, a good mystery.
Author Links
FACEBOOK:   https://www.facebook.com/teresatrentmysterywriter
TWITTER:   https://twitter.com/ttrent_cozymys
BLOG: https://teresatrent.wordpress.com/
WEBSITE:   http://teresatrent.com

January 15, 2018

Pre-Meditated Murder: A New Downward Dog mystery and Guest Post by Tracy Weber

Yoga instructor Kate Davidson is ready to marry her boyfriend Michael, so she’s disappointed when a special dinner doesn’t end with a proposal. But disappointment turns to dismay and outrage as she learns the real problem: Michael is already married and his green card-seeking wife is blackmailing him.

When his wife’s body is found—by Kate and her dog, no less—Michael is strangely unable to remember where he was the night she died. Since Michael has no alibi, Kate steps up to uncover what happened. What she walks into is a tangled web of deceit, obsession, and immigration fraud . . . with Michael trapped in the middle.

Guest Post from Tracy Weber

Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life: What Inspired Me to Write the Downward Dog Mystery Series

Several things inspired me to become a writer: a lifelong love of cozy mysteries; a passion for yoga; an almost obsessive love of dogs; a next door neighbor who is also a prolific author. I can even narrow down the specific moment I decided to write the Downward Dog Mystery Series. It involved a rainy night, a particularly challenging workout, and a passage from Susan Conant’s book Black Ribbon.

But in the end, the inspiration for my Downward Dog Mystery Series came from my first German shepherd dog, Tasha.

Tasha had some of the same issues as Bella, the German shepherd in my series. She was huge, not always perfectly well behaved, and she had a variety of expensive health conditions. In spite of her problems, I adored her to a fault.

She passed away a year and a half ago, and I still miss her. Living with Tasha changed my life, in every way for the better. She made me more patient, more loving, and more connected with my community. At the same time, she got me into some pretty “interesting” situations. I began to wonder: What if a yoga teacher with a crazy German shepherd like mine started stumbling into murder investigations? What kind of trouble could she and her dog get into?

The plot for my first book, Murder Strikes a Pose, formed from that idea. In that story, Bella’s owner, a homeless man named George, is murdered. In the most recent, Pre-Meditated Murder, Bella digs up the body of Kate’s boyfriend’s wife. Oops!

Now that Tasha is gone, I share my life with crazy German shepherd pup Ana, so hopefully I’ll have another twelve years of GSD antics to share with my readers.

Ana protecting Tracy from Unidentified Creepy Statue

I hope you all continue reading my work and finding creativity in your own lives!

About The Author

Tracy Weber is the author of the award-winning Downward Dog Mysteries series featuring yoga teacher Kate Davidson and her feisty German shepherd, Bella. Tracy loves sharing her passion for yoga and animals in any form possible. Her first book, Murder Strikes a Pose won the Maxwell Award for Fiction and is a 2015 Agatha award nominee for Best First Novel.
Tracy and her husband live in Seattle with their challenging yet amazing German shepherd Tasha. When she’s not writing, Tracy spends her time teaching yoga, walking Tasha, and sipping Blackthorn cider at her favorite ale house.

Keep up with Tracy

Website | Facebook | Whole Life Yoga | Twitter | Goodreads

Sign up for Frankie’s newsletter and get a free Professor Molly story

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

October 25, 2016

Interview and #Giveaway: Deadly Wedding

>>> Win a copy of Deadly Wedding<<<

Why murder a dying man?

Olivia Denis is hesitant to help an old family friend get ready for her wedding outside London. The so-called friend is a master at using people. As a young widow trying to find her way through a new romantic relationship, Olivia would rather avoid the large party.
She definitely didn’t plan to find the bride’s grandfather stabbed to death. The cruel, enormously rich aristocrat had changed his will only the day before, angering all his children.
As Olivia is forced to investigate the murder, she’s called away by her employer, the owner of an influential London daily newspaper. She must carry out another secret assignment, one that will take her to Vienna, now part of Nazi Germany.
With war on the horizon and attacks on the old man’s family increasing, can Olivia find a way to save lives in two countries?

Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess?
A: I’m Olivia Denis, now 26, slender, auburn haired, widowed, living in my late husband’s flat, working at a large London daily newspaper on the society columns. Your readers probably know all that about me already.
But do they know, in conflict with society’s rules, I seldom wore mourning for my late husband and have given it up altogether far sooner than I should have? Even the most modern interpretation of mourning rituals for widows has us wearing solid black with a thick veil over our faces for at least a year.
This was ruled out during working hours by the newspaper’s owner, Sir Henry Benton, as a distraction to our jobs of collecting and reporting the news. I could either wear mourning or work. And since I wanted to keep the flat and not move home, during the week, I couldn’t wear mourning.
And then there is a young man, Adam Redmond, a Captain in the British Army. We are quite good friends. In fact, he’s been hinting about marriage, but I think it’s too soon after Reggie’s death. Adam finds my wearing mourning off putting to his courting, and I certainly understand that. I don’t want to lose Adam. I’m falling in love with him. And so, as much as I mourn Reggie and regret his death, I’m flying in the face of convention by not wearing mourning throughout Deadly Scandal and Deadly Wedding.
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best?
A: That would be Adam. He brightens my days, looks after my safety when a killer strikes, and I miss him terribly when he’s off doing who knows what for army counterintelligence. He’s handsome, brilliant, funny…I could go on, but you get the idea.
Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with?
A: My father, Sir Ronald Harper. My father was away during the Great War, and shortly after he returned, my mother died in the great influenza epidemic. After that, it was just the two of us, and we are such different types. He is stuffy, Victorian in his beliefs, and fussy in that I always had to look and behave perfectly. While he made me learn to pack and dress neatly and speak three languages fluently, I wanted some freedom. I was a teenager in the Roaring Twenties. I wanted to sneak into dance halls and roll down my stockings and bob my hair. Not with Father around. I missed out on the entire decade, hidden away in a girls’ boarding school while he traveled for the Foreign Office. By the time I reached university, the depression had started and fun was subdued.
Q: Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
A: I think she has a wicked sense of humor. On the other hand, she’s unkind to me. She sends me into danger and lets me make a fool of myself on occasion while she stays safely back at her computer dreaming up more adventures for me. You’d think turn about would be fair play, but no. She gets to sit home in her office surrounded by books while I go out investigating murder and mayhem…I changed my mind. I’m glad I get to have the adventures. Kate is nearly as boring as my father.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Kate tells me I’ll start out interviewing the daughter of the Duke of Ashburn for the society page and while there I’ll meet Vivi Vienne, the famous fashion designer. Vivi, always a lover of publicity, takes a shine to me, and adventures, and murder, ensue. It will be called Deadly Fashion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Parker has wanted to travel to 1930s England since she read her mother’s Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers mysteries when she was a schoolgirl. After many years of studying science, she decided a time travel machine was out of the question so she found herself limited to reading about the period and visiting historic sites. Her love of this fascinating and challenging period led her to the research from which the Deadly series grew. Eventually, she found it necessary to spend several days in the British Library reading old newspapers, which meant another trip to England. Near Christmas. A sacrifice she’d gladly make every year.
The first story in the series is Deadly Scandal, released January 14, 2016.

Author Links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Nook

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

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

October 23, 2016

Interview and #Giveaway: Doggone It

>>>Enter to win a signed hardcover copy of Doggone It<<<

Dreamwalker Baxley Powell can’t remember the last time she had such a crappy weekend.

A twilight encounter with a ghost dog left her numb and disoriented, her dreamwalker abilities are wiped out, and the sheriff just summoned her to a double homicide.
Continue reading “Interview and #Giveaway: Doggone It”

October 21, 2016

#Giveaway and Interview: Ellen Byron, Body on the Bayou

>>>Win a print copy of Body on the Bayou (US Only)<<<
The Crozats feared that past murders at Crozat Plantation B&B might spell the death of their beloved estate, but they’ve managed to survive the scandal. Now there’s a très bigger story in Pelican, Louisiana: the upcoming nuptials between Maggie Crozat’s nemesis, Police Chief Rufus Durand, and her co-worker, Vanessa Fleer.When everyone else refuses the job of being Vanessa’s Maid of Honor, Maggie reluctantly takes up the title and finds herself tasked with a long list of duties–the most important of which is entertaining Vanessa’s cousin, Ginger Fleer-Starke. But just days before the wedding, Ginger’s lifeless body is found on the bayou and the Pelican PD, as well as the Crozats, have another murder mystery on their hands.There’s a gumbo-potful of suspects, including an ex-Marine with PTSD, an annoying local newspaper reporter, and Vanessa’s own sparkplug of a mother. But when it looks like the investigation is zeroing in on Vanessa as the prime suspect, Maggie reluctantly adds keeping the bride-to-be out of jail to her list of Maid of Honor responsibilities in Body on the Bayou.

Q: Aloha, Ellen, and welcome back to Island Confidential! I really enjoyed Body on the Bayou, but for our readers who haven’t had the pleasure of reading it, why don’t you tell us something about your protagonist, Maggie?

A: Magnolia “Maggie” Crozat is a thirty-two year old Cajun/Creole artist who spent over a decade in Manhattan and has come home to Pelican, Louisiana after a painful breakup. She’s a fish out of water in her hometown, where residents seem to see her as “that artsy fartsy girl.” She divides her time between working at her family’s plantation-turned-B&B, working as a tour guide at another plantation, and pursuing her art career.

Q: How much of you is reflected in Maggie?

A: Maggie has my dry sense of humor. And I’ve often felt like a fish out of water in life, so we share that. But we certainly don’t share a talent for art! I can barely draw stick figures. I think Maggie and I would be friends in real life. Except I’m not as hip as she is, LOL.

Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?

A: Oh, absolutely. Maggie becomes more secure in herself and her relationship with hot detective – they’re always hot, aren’t they? – Bo Durand. Her relationships with some frenemies change as well. I love create unexpected alliances.

Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?

A: Fo sho! In fact, wanting to kill a coworker is what inspired me to try writing mysteries. I wrote a chapter of a book where I turned him into an odious character who got murdered. I worked out some inner demons, but the writing wasn’t very good, so I shelved that project. Happy to say that no one’s driven me that far since – except for the occasional political figure.

Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?

A: The actual town where I set my series, Pelican, Louisiana, is a fictionalized version of a real small town. The plantations are based on real location as well, and while I fictionalize the locations a bit, the settings are pretty close to the real thing. If I guided you to many of the areas that inspired me, you’d find the real-life locations pretty close to their made-up counterparts.

Q: You’ve written for hit TV shows like Wings and Just Shoot Me, so I know this question must have crossed your mind: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?

A: Hah, I’ve asked myself this question many times! I see Anne Hathaway as Maggie, and Colin O’Donoghue from Once Upon a Time, my favorite TV series, as her boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand. And my dream casting for Gran’ would be Blythe Danner.

Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?

A: Honestly, nothing stands out as “best advice,” except for “put the funny word at the end of the sentence,” which has served me well as a sitcom writer. But I remember one specific lesson I learned that could classify as “worst advice.” I’d written a play inspired by my relationship with my great-aunt. After it was read in a writers group I belonged to, a member of the group who was way more established than me said he liked the play, but it would be much stronger if it was about the relationship between a girl and her father. I re-wrote the play… and completely lost my connection to it. He wasn’t giving a note. He was telling me how he would have written the play. That experience taught me to really distill and decipher notes so that they benefit my intentions and don’t throw me off course.

About The Author
Ellen’s debut novel, PLANTATION SHUDDERS: A Cajun Country Mystery, has been nominated for an Agatha Best First Novel award, a Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery, and a Daphne Award for Best Mainstream Mystery. The second Cajun Country Mystery is BODY ON THE BAYOU, released September 2016. Ellen’s TV credits include Wings and Just Shoot Me; she’s written over 200 magazine articles; her published plays include the award-winning Graceland and Asleep on the Wind. Ellen Byron is a native New Yorker who lives in Los Angeles and attributes her fascination with Louisiana to her college years at New Orleans’ Tulane University.

Blog | Facebook | GoodReads | Website | Twitter | Amazon | B&N

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

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

October 18, 2016

Guest Post and #Giveaway: Cathy Ace, author of The Corpse with the Ruby Lips, talks travel

>>>Enter to win one of two signed paperback copies of The Corpse with the Ruby Lips<<<

AROUND THE WORLD WITH CAIT MORGAN

Thanks for having me along today – it’s good to be here, and to have the chance to talk about something that’s close to my heart…travel!
For those who don’t know my Cait Morgan Mysteries, they might be unaware that each book takes place in a different country. The eighth book in the series is just due to be published, and, in THE CORPSE WITH THE RUBY LIPS, our indefatigable (if somewhat quirky) professor of criminal psychology Cait Morgan finds herself teaching a semester of special courses at the Hungarian University of Budapest. Budapest is a city that calls to many people, not least because of the fabulous way it’s featured in all those breathtaking shots we see of the locations to which Viking River Cruises can take us as we settle down to watch Masterpiece Mystery each week (you do do that, don’t you?).
For me it’s more than a series of picture postcards – I worked in Budapest for a couple of weeks, three or four times each year for about half a dozen years, and grew to love the place. It’s got a lot going on below the surface splendor of spectacular architecture, the magnificence of the Danube rippling through its heart and the almost-constantly-present sound of music wafting from concert halls, bars and restaurants. As – to be fair – most places do. But, in Budapest, all that beauty hides a dark past…a theme I develop in this book.
As for Cait’s other trips, she’s always followed in my footsteps: I used to live in the south of France, so Cait’s first book, THE CORPSE WITH THE SILVER TONGUE, was set in Nice…with the murder of the titular corpse taking place in the apartment of a couple of friends of mine (with their permission, I “borrowed” it!). Then I brought her closer to my current home and used my many jaunts to British Columbia’s wine country – just a few hours from my house – as inspiration for THE CORPSE WITH THE GOLDEN NOSE, which featured the suicided (or was it?) of a world-famous vintner. Then I sent Cait to the Pacific coast of Mexico in THE CORPSE WITH THE EMERALD THUMB, where I enjoyed dreaming up a make-believe resort near one of my favorite Places, Puerto Vallarta, followed by a trip to Vegas in THE CORPSE WITH THE PLATINUM HAIR, where I had even more fun “building” my very own casino and hotel. Trust me, if anyone in Nevada wants to truly create the Tsar! Casino, I’m all in. After that, I took Cait back to her – and my – Homeland….Wales in THE CORPSE WITH THE SAPPHIRE EYES, where she enjoyed (?) a long weekend in a spooky castle set on top of a cliff, in a storm. It was a delight to introduce readers to the place where I, and my leading lady, are from. Following that, I packed Cait and Bud off on a cruise around the Hawai’ian Islands in THE CORPSE WITH THE DIAMOND HAND…from which they returned having solved a puzzling murder mystery, and with a love of the Islands they “inherited” from me (I was married at the home of a good friend in Honolulu, and I’m very much looking forward to returning in March 2017 when I’ll be attending the Left Coast Crime convention). Recently Cait’s been in Europe – first of all in Amsterdam, in THE CORPSE WITH THE GARNET FACE, which is another city where I’ve worked for months on end in the past (and, incidentally, where I got engaged), And now she’s in Hungary.
Cait’s racked up quite a few air miles, as have I, over the years, and all I can do for now is wonder where she’ll go next. Maybe she’ll be happy to stay at home for a while…but once that travel bug bites, it’s hard to resist.

Cathy Ace’s latest Cait Morgan mystery is The Corpse with the Ruby Lips.
Quirky criminology professor Cait Morgan is invited to be a guest lecturer at a Budapest university, and although she’s hesitant to go without her husband and trusted sidekick, Bud, who must stay home to care for his aging parents, she decides to make the month-long trip on her own.
Soon after arriving, one of her new students, Zsofia, pleads with Cait to help her uncover any clues about her grandmother’s unsolved murder, which happened decades ago on the campus of Cait’s own home university in Canada. Cait agrees, but when she is repeatedly hassled by an creepy colleague, and as bizarre details about Zsofia’s family members come to light, Cait is beset by uncertainty.
As she gets closer to the truth, Cait’s investigation puts the powers-that-be on high alert, and her instincts tell her she’s in grave danger. Bud races to Budapest to come to Cait’s side, but will it be too late?

About The Author

Originally from Wales, now-Canadian Cathy Ace writes the Cait Morgan Mysteries. Her series has found her criminal psychologist, foodie sleuth stumbling upon Corpses with a Silver Tongue, a Golden Nose, an Emerald Thumb, Platinum Hair, Sapphire Eyes and, now, a Diamond Hand during her globetrotting. The winner of The Bony Blithe Award for Best Light Mystery in 2015, when not helping Cait solve traditional, closed-circle mysteries, Cathy’s a keen gardener, ably assisted by her green-pawed chocolate Labradors.
Keep up with Cathy

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

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

October 17, 2016

Review and Spotlight: An Act of Murder

>>Enter to win a copy of An Act of Murder<<<

Introducing a new campus cozy series!

In the sleepy college town of Copper Bluff, South Dakota, English professor Emmeline Prather is enjoying the start of a new semester. But when one of her students dies working on the fall musical, it disrupts life on the small, quiet campus. Although the police rule the death accidental, Prof. Prather has good reason to suspect foul play.

Unmasking the murderer proves much more challenging than finding dangling participles, so Em recruits fellow English professor Lenny Jenkins for assistance. Together, they comb the campus and vicinity for clues, risking their reputations and possibly their jobs. After an intruder breaks into Em’s house, Lenny advises caution–and perhaps a change of address. Em, on the other hand, is all the more determined to forge ahead, convinced they’re on the brink of an important breakthrough.

Review

I got a kick out of quirky English professor Emmeline Prather, who is just bloody-minded enough to continue to investigate a mysterious death on campus, against the advice of…well, just about everyone. Professor Prather sees the world a little differently, which helps her to gather clues, but also places her in harm’s way. She will barge into the students’ living quarters and confidently interrogate the victim’s hapless roommate, but then find herself resentfully tongue-tied in the presence of a passive-aggressive colleague. She doesn’t stumble into a solution as much as she finds her own circuitous way to it, keeping in step to her own drummer the whole time. Prather is a sympathetic and entertaining protagonist, and the little college town of Copper Bluff, South Dakota is beautifully drawn. Mary Angela does a wonderful job at portraying small-town academia, and I am looking forward to Emmeline Prather’s next adventure.

About The Author

Like her protagonist in the Professor Prather mystery series, Mary Angela lives on the Great Plains and teaches college writing and literature. When she’s not grading papers (when is she not grading papers?), she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. She and her husband have two amazing daughters, one adorable dog, and a cat who would rather not be limited by an adjective. For more information, go to www.maryangelabooks.com.

Web | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

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

October 17, 2016

Character Interview: Rory Chasen, owner of the Lucky Dog Boutique

Rory Chasen, manager of the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, California, hopes her new line of good-luck doggy toys will be a hit, especially the stuffed rabbits with extra-large feet. The timing of the line’s debut proves ill-fated, though, as several local shops—including Rory’s—are ransacked and vandalized with spilled salt and other unlucky charms.

The most likely culprit is disgruntled real estate agent Flora Curtival, whose issues with the town give her a motive. But when Flora is murdered and one of Rory’s toy rabbits is found with the body, Rory needs all the luck she can get while trying to determine just who killed the superstitious vandal.

Q: Rory, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential. Why not tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something they might not guess?
My name is Rory Chasen, and my stories are being told in the Superstition Mysteries,. I’m still not sure how I feel about that, but if it helps other people learn to deal with superstitions, whether or not they actually cause the effects they’re reputed to, well, that’s okay with me.
I don’t think it will be surprising to readers, but I’ve always enjoyed pets, most especially dogs. That was why I happen to own, or be owned by, my spaniel-terrier mix Pluckie, whom I found out was actually good luck, since she’s a black and white dog. Before I moved to Destiny, California, I worked in a chain pet store, so I arrived here with most of the skills I needed to manage the Lucky Dog Boutique, which is what I do now.
One thing that readers might not know was that I was a fairly ordinary person when it came to superstitions, before my beloved fiancé Warren walked under a ladder and was killed by a car right afterwards. I did the usual things of crossing fingers and knocking on wood, almost without thinking. And now? Every time I do either of those things, or engage in any other superstitious behavior, I think about it a lot!
Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why?
Once again I don’t think what I’m about to say will be surprising to readers, but the person in my stories that I get along with best is Justin Halbertson, the Destiny Chief of Police. We’ve been getting closer…. Also, I certainly get along well with Gemma Grayfield, my bff, who’s moved to Destiny partially to hang out with me.
Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why?
Ah… that’s a pretty strange thing and might juice up my superstitious agnosticism. It seems as if the people here in superstitious Destiny who’ve rubbed me the wrong way end up dead. That happens even when I’m not the main murder suspect, as I am in my latest adventure UNLUCKY CHARMS.
I suppose if I had to name a person I sometimes have trouble with here who’s still around, that’s probably Mayor Bevin Dermot. He is so pro-Destiny that sometimes he does or says things that he may believe are in the best interests of the town, but I don’t always agree with him.
Q: Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author?
Who–Linda O. Johnston? She’s wonderful in many ways, since she tells my stories so well. On the other hand–well, since I’ve become just a bit superstitious, I wonder if it’s a good idea for her to be telling the whole world about all of this. Could it bring me bad luck? Could it bring herbad luck?
Q: What’s next for you?
Actually, I’m not sure. I hope to continue my wonderful life in Destiny with all my friends, most especially Justin. I’m not currently anticipating any more murders, and therefore there may be no additional books about me. But who knows? Even thinking such a thing could jinx me in the universe, so maybe I’ll have more adventures sometime in the future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year. Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 38 romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, and Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne. She additionally writes the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink.

Author Links:
Webpage: www.LindaOJohnston.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston
Purchase Links:
Amazon | B&N

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

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

October 13, 2016

Spotlight and Review: A Killer Closet by Paula Paul

In a fashionably cozy short mystery novel, Paula Paul introduces a tenacious heroine who leaves big-city life behind and returns to picturesque Santa Fe, New Mexico—where murder lands on her doorstep.

Irene Seligman loves the warmth and beauty of her Southwest hometown, but only one thing could make her quit her prestigious job as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan to return there: the guilt applied by her demanding mother, Adelle. After Adelle’s most recent husband dies, leaving her with nothing, Irene decides to take a break from prosecuting criminals to move back to Santa Fe and open an upscale consignment store. With Irene’s determination and her mother’s eye for haute couture, they’re sure to make a killing.
But on the day of the grand opening, Irene discovers the body of one of Adelle’s friends in her storeroom. And although the intrigue causes business to boom, when someone else from Adelle’s social circle is murdered, Irene begins to suspect her mother might be in danger too. Ever the protective daughter, Irene investigates her mother’s friends, suspicious that they’re hiding more than designer clothes in their closets. But as she gets closer to uncovering some real skeletons, Irene might not live to regret coming home again.

Review
A Killer Closet introduces us to Irene Seligman, a capable and well-meaning former attorney who, for a number of personal reasons, finds herself starting over back in her home town, Santa Fe. Irene’s new life as the proprietor of a luxury consignment shop gets off to a bad start when a prominent socialite is found dead in the closet of Irene’s new store on opening day. We get to know Irene’s self-centered mother, her mother’s eccentric friends, a mercurial police chief, a high-profile lawyer who is oddly low-key, an “angel” of a shop assistant, and the community itself. Even as Paul keeps up the pace, we become acquainted with Santa Fe’s unique history and atmosphere. While I sometimes found myself (mentally) yelling at Irene for her decisions, I couldn’t put the book down. I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel!

About The Author
Award-winning novelist Paula Paul was born on her grandparents’ cotton farm near Shallowater, Texas, and graduated from a country high school near Maple, Texas. She earned a BA in journalism and has worked as a reporter for newspapers in both Texas and New Mexico. She’s been the recipient of state and national awards for her work as a journalist as well as a novelist. Her previous novels featuring Dr. Alexandra Gladstone, including Symptoms of Death, have appeared on bookstore and online bestseller lists. She is also the author of the Mystery by Design series, which she wrote as Paula Carter. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Amazon | B&N

KEEP UP WITH PROMOTIONS, EVENTS, AND NEW RELEASES:

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

October 12, 2016

#Giveaway: Crepe Factor by Laura Childs with Terrie Farley Moran

>>>Enter to win a print copy of Crepe Factor<<<

Author Laura Childs is a superb writer and is now joined in writing this series with another of my favorite authors, Terrie Farley Moran! They make a perfect fit for sure. Reading the books, you’d never know two writers were contributing. The quality storytelling in CREPE FACTOR is of a standard that many authors can only hope to achieve.
~Lisa Ks Book Reviews

CREPE FACTOR is not only a fun, madcap romp through New Orleans and the bayou with memorable characters, the book provides inspiration and tips for scrapbooking along with several delicious recipes.
~Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of MurderThis is a lively read. Carmela and Ava are fun characters, and I loved their scenes together. The dialogue is sharp and quick, and really moves the story along.
~View from the BirdhouseLaura was my first cozy mystery author I read and it was this series I started with. She is who got me hooked on cozy mysteries and why I keep coming back to them.
~A. Holland ReadsCrepe Factor is quirky, fun, and entertaining. It is well written by seasoned authors, and their dual contribution flows seamlessly.
~The Power of Words
The descriptions of this New Orleans community makes the reader feel like they are right there…I did enjoy the book, well written with a touch of humor.
~CelticLady Reviews
I found this book a delight!…The mystery was lots of fun.
~I Wish I Lived In a Library
I have followed this series from the start and when you put both of these authors together , their writing styles go so well together that you get an outstanding read.
~Shelley’s Book Case
This book really pulled you in wanting you to figure out who killed him and why. I loved going on the adventure with them.
~Community Bookstop
This was an entertaining and fun read. It had the right amount of humor in it that made me chuckle at times.
~Melina’s Book Blog
I love the setting of New Orleans. One of America’s most fascinating places. I love the friendship between Ava and Carmela. And I love the scrapbooking store setting.
~MysteriesEtc
I enjoyed main characters, Carmella and Ava. They were fun, quirky, and full of adventure. I appreciated that I could come into book fourteen as a new reader and not feel left behind in the series.
~Grace, Gratitude, Life

The Winter Market in the French Quarter is in full swing, but murder isn’t taking a holiday in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Parchment and Old Lace…

The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand—but not so hectic that she doesn’t have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving fork, dying in front of them.
The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restauranteur Quigg Brevard—who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, to say the least.
Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon…
Scrapbooking tips and recipes included!

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:

Amazon B&N Goggle Books IndieBound