Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Read and Buried by Erika Chase

Let's welcome Erika Chase today. Her newest book Read and Buried was released on Dec 4th 2012




Read and Buried: An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery



Synopsis:
Hosting an award-winning novelist is quite a Christmas coup for the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straw Society. But when he’s murdered in Lizzie Turner’s house, she’s got a holiday homicide on her hands …

For their very first guest author event, most of the book club members can’t wait to pull out all the stops in Southern hospitality. But for Lizzie, Derek Alton is nothing but trouble—from his massive ego to his smarmy moves. When he’s found murdered in her living room, it seems someone decided that this womanizing writer would be better off dead than read.

After suspicion falls on Lizzie’s friend, she and her fellow book club members discover that Derek wasn’t who he pretended to be. Cracking this case means going up against Lizzie’s boyfriend, police chief Mark Dreyfus, and unearthing a novel’s worth of nasty secrets. And as they get closer to uncovering Derek’s scandalous final manuscript, someone hiding in plain sight is out to write finis to Lizzie’s sleuthing for good…
 

Meet the Author Erika Chase

Erika Chase is the former owner of a mystery bookstore and in that guise has spoken to many book clubs over the years, happily recommending authors and series. Her own book club places chocolate on an equal footing with the books they read. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, and short-listed for awards. She’s been an advertising copywriter, journalist, and community educator as well as a long time volunteer with the local police service. She resides in the home of her two Siamese cats.  
 

Author Spotlight --Christine Meunier

Our Author Spotlighted today is...  Christine Meunier









Blurb of the book:

Christine Meunier has lived a life breathing, dreaming and working with horses in the thoroughbred industry in Australia and has also travelled overseas to work in the industry.  Horse Country takes her own personal experiences woven into a story about four young women studying and working in the horse industry.

Follow Lise and Wes as they work their way around North East Victoria, Australia in the seasonal world of breeding thoroughbreds.  Horse Country follows the seasons of the thoroughbred industry and what the day to day of working on a stud could look like.

A few hours away, Maddie and Melanie are working hard in their parent’s metropolitan riding school, teaching others about horse riding and care of the horse.  From the nervous first time rider, to the child who wants to run fast and jump high, the young women shape lessons to suit the individual.

Horses offer a great opportunity to study, learn, work and develop an incredible career around the world.  Set in Australia, this novel shows that the land down under is indeed a Horse Country.Horse
 



About the Author
Christine Meunier considers herself introduced to the wonderful world of horses at the late age of 13 when her parents agreed to lease a horse for her.  She started experiencing horses via books from a young age and continues to do so, but recognises that horses cannot be learnt solely from books.

She has been studying horses from age 16, starting with the Certificate II in Horse Studies and is currently undertaking her Bachelor of Equine Science via distance education.

Christine has worked at numerous thoroughbred studs in Australia as well as overseas in Ireland for a breeding season.
She then gained experience in a couple of Melbourne based horse riding schools, instructing at a basic level before heading off overseas again, this time to South Africa to spend hours in the saddle of endurance and trail horses on the Wild Coast.

Particularly passionate about the world of breeding horses, she teaches equine studies focused on breeding, at a TAFE, Victoria, Australia.
She also writes a blog about equine education which you can view at http://equus-blog.com/



Thanks for being here today Christine, I look forward to reading your book!

 

Christine Meunier
Horse Country - A World of Horses available for sale July 1st!
http://www.horsecountrybook.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HorseCountry

Interested in a horse related career?  Check out
http://www.facebook.com/EquusEducation

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Thursday First

Happy Thursday to you all! Our first in a new series is by

                                Carol Ann Martin



Book Description

June 4, 2013 A Weaving Mystery (Book 1)
LOOM WITH A VIEW
 
Della Wright has come to peaceful and picturesque Briar Hollow, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, to realize her lifelong dream of owning a weaving studio. To promote her new business, Dream Weavers, Della is offering weaving workshops for all levels of ability. In her first class, she meets half a dozen of the town’s colorful characters, who seem as eager to gossip as to learn how to work a loom.
 
But when a shady local businessman is found murdered, Briar Hollow suddenly appears a lot less idyllic. And when one of her weaving students is suspected of the crime, Della can’t help getting entangled in the investigation—with some help from her criminologist friend, Matthew. But can she weave together clues as well as she weaves together yarn—and stop a killer from striking again?

FEATURES WEAVING TIPS!



This is on my TBR pile, hope it is on your pile as well.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Author Spotlight Wednesday

Hi everyone, I am somewhat back, still recovering from surgery so I am going to try my best here.

Today's Author Spotlight goes out to  the Sensational Nancy J. Parra

Image of Nancy J. Parra


Nancy J. Parra's discovered she had a severe gluten allergy and had to give up her second favorite passed-time, baking. Six months into her forced new diet, she was back in the kitchen figuring out how to make her own gluten-free baked goods and soon posted delicious pictures on the web. When a good friend suggested she mix her two loves-baking and writing, she wrote her first cozy mystery, "Gluten for Punishment, Berkley Prime Crime May 7, 2013.

On a happy roll, she soon sold a Mackinac Island Fudge Shop mystery series. "All Fudged Up" will be out in 2013.
With an MA in Writing Popular Fiction, Ms. Parra has written articles on writing, and has given workshops on writing techniques to various library and writers groups.

She has a blog on the art and craft of writing, www.nancyjparra.blogspot.com.

Visit her website at www.nancyjparra.com
 for more information, a list of her books and full reviews
 She can also be found at www.facebook.com/nancyjparraauthor
 and would love to add you as her friend.


Hi Nancy, it was a pleasure to meet you at Malice, looking forward to more books soon!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Wednesday Author Shout out

Happy Wednesday ! Our Spotlighted Author is...

                                         Peg Cochran

Peg is the Author of the Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries


Book Description

June 4, 2013 A Gourmet De-Lite Mystery (Book 2)
Gourmet health food caterer Gigi Fitzgerald is used to helping dieters drop a dress size. But when her clients start dropping dead, she’s ready to switch her chef’s hat for a detective’s cap and track down a killer. . .

Aging soap star Felicity Davenport is looking to revamp her image, and she’s using Gigi’s Gourmet De-Lite to help her shed a few of those unwanted pounds. Having such a high-profile client is definitely good for business, but when Felicity is found murdered in her sauna, things start getting too hot for Gigi to handle.

The list of suspects is a mile long, and Gigi’s best friend, Sienna, is at the top. Refusing to let her friend get blamed for a crime she didn’t commit, Gigi is determined to hunt down the real killer. But, as the case reaches a boiling point, Gigi will have to be careful or she could be the next one getting burned.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS—AND HEALTHY—RECIPES!
 
Image of Peg Cochran

Biography

 
 
 
Peg grew up in a New Jersey suburb about 25 miles outside of New York City. After college, she moved to the City where she managed an art gallery owned by the son of the artist Henri Matisse. When her first daughter, Francesca, arrived, the new family moved back to the New Jersey suburbs where her second daughter, Annabelle, was born.

After her husband died, Peg remarried and her new husband took a job in Grand Rapids, MI where they now live (on exile from NJ, she likes to joke). Peg managed to segue from the art world to marketing and is now the manager of marketing communications for a company that provides services to seniors.

Her greatest love though has always been writing-particularly mysteries! She has two cozy mystery series debuting from Berkley Prime Crime-the Gourmet De-Lite series set in Connecticut and featuring Gigi Fitzgerald who provides gourmet diet meals to a select group of clients, and the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series, written as Meg London, set in Paris, TN with Emma Taylor who finds murder and mayhem in this quiet country town.

Also available on Kindle is Confession Is Murder, the first in her Patron Saint Mystery series featuring middle-aged "Jersey girl" Lucille Mazzarella

As for pets - she has a schizophrenic cat (really) named Frazzle and a Westhighland White Terrier, Reggie, who is desperately in need of losing a few pounds. But you know what they say: If your dog is overweight, it means YOU aren't getting enough exercise!

When she's not writing, Peg can usually be found cooking, which she loves. When asked to bring a dish to a potluck she invariably opts to bring dessert - partly because she loves making sweet dishes and partly because she and her husband always manage to be late so there's no point in putting them in charge of the appetizer!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Daisy Prescott Tour

 Welcome Daisy Prescott to our blog today!
 Food writer Maggie Marrion is just getting back on her feet after  a horrible year, or two, or three. With their twentieth reunion approaching, she invites four of her closest friends from college for a weekend at her beach cabin on Whidbey Island. What she doesn't expect is her best friends, artist Quinn Dayton and part-time erotica novelist, Selah Elmore, to play matchmaker. The two plot a surprise that will make the weekend, and her life, a lot more interesting.

Gil Morrow, former grunge musician turned history professor, joins them as Selah's date for the weekend. After coming face to face with the one who got away, he decides he's waited long enough to get the girl. With the support of old friends, a few wishing rocks, the world's largest burrowing clam, and a hot lumberjack thrown into the mix, Gil reminds Maggie that forty-something isn't too old for second chances.

Can we learn to love the life we have and let go of who we expected to be? What happens when the generation from The Breakfast Club and Reality Bites meets The Big Chill? Come spend a weekend with these Generation X-ers as they share laughter, tears, life's ups and downs, old stories, and new beginnings.

 excerpt:

“Showtime!” Quinn says with a little too much enthusiasm for Maggie’s liking. She finishes her glass of wine and stands to face the new arrivals.
         “Hi!” she greets Selah, matching Quinn’s exuberance.
         Selah wears one of her typical flowing skirts and tank top accessorized with a huge necklace, which draws attention to her large chest. Oversized sunglasses hold her dark bob away from her face.
         More distracting than even Selah’s breasts is the tousled brown hair of the man behind her. A few steps behind Selah stands Gilliam Morrow. Maggie’s heart flips at the sight of him.
         Biscuit barks out a greeting at the new guests and scampers over to sniff them. He’s the world’s most friendly dog and more apt to lick than bite.
         Selah walks over to hug Quinn, giving Maggie a clear view of the man walking up the stairs. His brown hair is shorter, and it might be sprinkled with a little more gray. The face shows a few more lines around his warm brown eyes than the last time she saw it, but it’s still a handsome composition of angles. Wearing khaki shorts and a faded Jane’s Addiction T-shirt, he is a mix of old friend and stranger.
         Gil makes eye contact with Maggie and smiles. He runs his hand through his hair, and gives her a small wave.
         “Who’s this fine beast?” Gil asks.
         Biscuit sniffs around the newcomers. Gil scratches the dog’s head, and from the way Biscuit leans into him, the two of them will be fast friends.
         “That’s Biscuit. He’s a manwhore,” Quinn answers for Maggie who stands quietly staring at Gil.
         “Hi, Maggie.” Gil strides over to her and gives her a friendly peck on the cheek.
         “Hi,” she says as she hugs him. It is a hug of two strangers who used to be friends, who used to be more. Gil’s tall frame towers over hers—she barely comes up to his shoulder. She inhales his clean scent with hints of sunscreen and salt. He smells like summer.
         “Hi,” he says again and then laughs at himself. “I guess I already said that.”
         “Hi.” She laughs along with him.
         “Sorry to crash the weekend. Hope you don’t mind.” His deep voice is soft with genuine feeling.
         “Of course not. It wouldn’t be the whole gang if you weren’t here.” She hopes she sounds cooler than she feels.
         Selah comes over and saves them from the awkwardness. She steps between Maggie and Gil, and hugs Maggie. Gil walks over to shake Quinn’s hand.
         “Forgive me?” Selah whispers in her ear.
         “We’ll see,” Maggie whispers back.
         Louder Maggie says, “How was the ferry? Where are your bags? Do you want wine? There’s a Rosé open. Or beer. You probably want a beer, Gil. I have beer. Or iced tea. You don’t have to drink.”
         The word vomit seems unstoppable until Selah touches her arm.
         “The ferry was good. Quick once we got onto the boat. Bags are in the car. Why don’t we all sit, have a drink, enjoy the view, and then you can give us a tour,” Selah says, rubbing Maggie’s arms.
         “Sounds good to me,” Gil answers.
         “Beer or wine?” Quinn asks as he steps toward the door to the living room.
         “Wine for me,” Selah responds.
         “Beer’s fine. I’ll come with you,” Gil says, following Quinn inside.
         With only the screen door closed, the guys’ voices carry outside. Knowing they can be overheard as well, Maggie walks Selah over to the table in the far corner of the deck.
            “Want to explain what you’re up to?”





Author Bio:

Before writing full time, Daisy Prescott worked in the world of art, auctions, antiques, and home decor. She earned her degree in Art History from Mills College and endured a brief stint as a film theory graduate student at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Baker, art educator, antiques dealer, blue ribbon pie maker, fangirl, blogger, freelance writer, gardener, wife, and pet mom are a few of the other titles shes acquired over the years.
Born and raised in San Diego, Daisy and her husband live in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with their dog, Hubbell, and an imaginary house goat. She is currently researching her second novel.
Connect with Daisy!

Twitter: @daisy_prescott



Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Wednesday Author Spotlight

It's Wednesday and our Author Spotlight goes to the Lovely

                                        Kylie Logan

Her newest book Mayhem at the Orient Express (LEAGUE OF LITERARY LADIES) is out June 4th.




Book Description

 June 4, 2013
At a local Chinese restaurant, it's the owner who gets taken out...

Most folks aren’t forced by court order to attend a library-book discussion group, but that’s just what happens to B and B proprietor and ex-Manhattanite Bea Cartwright, hippy cat lover Chandra Morrisey, and winery owner Kate Wilder after a small-town magistrate has had enough of their squabbling. South Bass, an island on Lake Erie, is home to an idyllic summer resort, but these three ladies keep disturbing the peace.

The initial book choice is Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, and that sets their mouths to watering. The Orient Express is the island’s newest Chinese restaurant. They might not agree about much, but the ladies all love the orange chicken on the menu. But their meal is spoiled when the restaurant’s owner, Peter Chan, has the bad fortune of getting murdered. Now, with Christie as their inspiration, the League of Literary Ladies has a real mystery to solve…if they can somehow catch a killer without killing each other first.



So way to go Kylie!!!!!! This is such a GREAT book!!!!!

First in Series- Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross

Happy Monday! This week's First in Series is Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross Released on August 22, 2000. Seri...