Sunday, November 30, 2014

Weekly Wrap Up #47

Happy Sunday, it was a fun week on my blog! Here is what you missed!

Nov.28th - Friday 56

Books I've read:

Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown
Spell Booked by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Fatal Brushstroke by Sybil Johnson


Coming this week:

Dec. 1st- Holiday Book Blitz 
Dec. 2nd- Book Tour- Fatal Brushstroke by Sybil Johnson
Dec. 3rd- Author Spotlight/ Book Tour- Spell Booked by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Dec. 4th- First in a New Series- Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown
Dec. 5th- Book Tour- Murder for a Rainy Day by Teresa Trent
Dec.6th- Book Trivia- Helen Smith

Hope you will join me here! 

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Book Trivia hosted by Mary Marks

It's a Beautiful Saturday and today's trivia host is the lovely Mary Marks!! Mary Marks is the Author of Knot in My Backyard!  Leave your answers in the comments for a chance to win a $10 gift card to Amazon!!


Here we go! Good Luck!!

Knot In My Backyard Trivia Questions:
1.  What was the name of Martha Rose’s coach at Weight Watchers?
2.  How was Arthur the dog wounded?
3.  Who was Rafi?
4.  What was the name of the private school behind Martha’s house?
5.  Who was Ed’s lawyer?
6.  What kind of car did Diane Davis drive?
7.  Who was Sonia’s boyfriend in her “groovy” days?
8.  Name at least three things Martha and her friends give to the homeless.
9.  Where did Parker sit while he was a lookout for the Eyes of Encino?
10. What was Crusher’s real name?


Here is the prize to one lucky winner!

Product Details

Friday, November 28, 2014

Friday 56

Happy Friday! Hope you have a great day!




Product Details


"First off Dante and Mina broke up." 
"You're kidding!" Madison said.They were such a cute couple. "
" I know right?But she said he wasn't paying enough attention to her.She texted him Friday night and he didn't reply until Saturday morning, so she knows he was out with someone else." 


Do you want to find out what happens next?

Thursday, November 27, 2014

First in a New Series- The Big Kitty

Happy Thanksgiving! It's another great first, this one debuted in May of 2012. The Big Kitty by Claire Donnally! Cat lovers will enjoy this one.


Book Description

 May 1, 2012
Did curiosity kill the cat lady?
 
Sunny Coolidge left her New York City newspaper job to go back to Maine and take care of her ailing father. But there’s not much excitement—or interesting work—in Kittery Harbor. So when Ada Spruance, the town’s elderly cat lady, asks for help finding her supposedly-winning lottery ticket, Sunny agrees. But when she arrives at Ada’s, with a stray tomcat named Shadow tagging along, they discover the poor woman dead at the bottom of her stairs. Was it an accident—or did Ada’s death have to do with that missing lottery ticket, which turns out to be worth six million dollars?
 
Town Constable Will Price suspects the worst. And Sunny’s reporter instincts soon drive her to do some investigating of her own. Even Shadow seems to have a nose for detective work. Following the trail of the purrloined ticket, Sunny and Shadow try to shed some light on a killer’s dark motives—before their own numbers are up… 

This is a perfect start to a great series: get it here:




Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Author Spotlight- Leslie Meier

I love the Lucy Stone  Series by Leslie Meier! They are fun and witty and have some really great recipes to try in each book!The titles are awesome and the covers for each book are great.



Leslie Meier


I started writing in the late '80s when I was attending graduate classes at Bridgewater State College. I wanted to become certified to teach high school English and one of the required courses was Writing and the Teaching of Writing. My professor suggested that one of the papers I wrote for that course was good enough to be published and I sent it off to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's Department of First Stories. I got $100 for the story and I've been writing ever since. The teaching, however, didn't work out.

My books draw heavily on my experience as a mother of three and my work as a reporter for various weekly newspspers on Cape Cod. My heroine, Lucy Stone, is a reporter in the fictional town of Tinker's Cove, Maine, where she lives in an old farmhouse (quite similar to mine on Cape Cod!) with her restoration carpenter husband Bill and four children. As the series has progressed the kids have grown older, roughly paralleling my own family. We seem to have reached a point beyond which Lucy cannot age -- my editor seems to want her to remain forty-something forever -- though I have to admit I am dying to write "Menopause is Murder"!

I usually write one Lucy Stone mystery every year and as you can see, my editor likes me to feature the holidays in my books.Of course Christmas is one of my favorite times of year and my newest mystery{released September 2013} is called "Christmas Carol Murder.".I have always loved the Alistair Sims movie version of Charles Dicken's ,"The Christmas Carol",so I was excited to be able to have Lucy encounter some modern day versions of Dicken's classic characters.
In addition to the recent holiday mysteries I have written such as "Chocolate Covered Murder"{Valentine's Day}and "Easter Bunny Murder",I have written one travel mystery in which Lucy and her friends ,travel to London,"English Tea Murder".Since I love to travel I can only hope that Lucy will be able to solve some mysteries in some other cities and countries also.My husband and I did stay in an apartment in Paris this past year {big hint!}
My books are classified as cozies but a good friend insists they are really "comedies of manners" and I do enjoy expressing my view of contemporary American life.

Now that the kids are grown -- I now have four grandchildren -- my husband and I are enjoying our empty nest on Cape Cod which we share with our new very frisky kitty ,Sylvester.I am busy writing the next Lucy Stone Mystery which is due out this Spring.I do hope you will enjoy it!

All of her books can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble too!

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What a fantastic group of books! If you haven't read these yet, get them today!


Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson

I am delighted to have with us today the Lovely Marilyn Levinson, Her new book Murder the Tey Way was released on October 17, 2014 and it is really good. Welcome Marilyn , so happy to be part of your tour.
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Murder the Tey Way
by Marilyn Levinson

murder_tey_way_cover
Murder the Tey Way
by Marilyn Levinson
  • Cozy Mystery – 300 pages
The sequel to Murder a la Christie. The book will be out in mid-October!!
Synopsis:
Professor Lexie Driscoll is leading a Golden Age of Mystery book club discussion of Josephine Tey’s novels, when her sister arrives in a state of agitation. The sisters aren’t close, and Lexie wonders why Gayle has driven from Utah to Long Island to stay with her. The following morning, Gayle awakens Lexie to say there’s a dead man lying in her backyard. Gayle confesses she’s on the run because she witnessed a murder and the murderer is out to get her. Gayle takes off after begging Lexie not to tell the police she’s been there. This presents a problem because Lexie’s boyfriend, homicide detective Brian Donovan, is initially put in charge of the investigation. The murder victim turns out to be a minor criminal suspected of having burgled several homes in the area. Lexie wonders if her sister killed the man, believing he was sent to kill her.
Lexie and her friend Joy Lincoln, a former FBI agent and now a stay-at-home mom, soon discover that all of the book club members either have secrets or are in situations involving the wrong side of the law. An older couple, Marge and Evan Billings, are at the mercy of the criminals they’ve hired to extricate their young granddaughter from Peru. Tim Draigon has lost his attorney’s license for illegal activities. He and Sadie Lu, a guidance counselor, owe money and have borrowed large sums from money lenders connected to the murdered man. Lexie’s neighbors, the Roberts sisters, are strange birds. Corinne dominates her slow sister, Felicity, and berates Lexie whenever she comes to Felicity’s aid. And who is this Johnny Scarvino Felicity fears? Another club member is murdered, one is knocked unconscious, and old and new secrets impact the lives of the members of the book club. Lexie must find the murderer before more lives are destroyed.
My review:
Lexie and the book club ladies are back and better than ever in this installment of the Golden Age of Mystery series. This was such a great book I couldn't put it down. When Lexie's sister finds a dead man in her backyard things take a turn that Lexie didn't want. Her sister Gayle doesn't want the police to know she is there and Lexie has to find out what is going on before they both find themselves in jail. The characters are strong and the story line is so intense and captivating you will not want to stop reading! This is one whodunit that will have you up late and wanting more.

marilyn
About This Author
 A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and books for kids.
Her latest mystery, Murder a la Christie, is out with Oak Tree Press. Untreed Reads has brought out new e-editions of her Twin Lakes mysteries: A Murderer Among Us, awarded a Suspense Magazine Best Indie, and Murder in the Air. Uncial Press e-publishes her ghost mystery, Giving Up the Ghost, and her romantic suspense, Dangerous Relations. All of Marilyn’s mysteries take place on Long Island, where she lives.
Her books for young readers include No Boys Allowed; Rufus and Magic Run Amok, which was awarded a Children’s Choice; Getting Back to Normal, & And Don’t Bring Jeremy.
Marilyn loves traveling, reading, knitting, doing Sudoku, and visiting with her granddaughter, Olivia, on FaceTime. She is co-founder and past president of the Long Island chapter of Sisters in Crime.
 Author Links
Blog: Makeminemystery the first and third Monday of every month.
http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/
Purchase Links:
Amazon  B&N

Monday, November 24, 2014

Guest Post- Joni Sauer- Folger

I am so thrilled to have the lovely Joni Sauer Folger joining us today! Welcome Joni, hope everything is well with you.
Joni Sauer-Folger


Autumn - My Favorite Time of Year

Howdy, y’all! My name is Abigail DeVries, Miss Abby to just about everyone in Bastrop County, Texas, where my daughter, Laura Beckett owns River Bend Vineyard & Winery. The vineyard is definitely a family affair. My oldest grandchild, Ross, is the financial wizard who keeps us in the black. His younger sister Elise is a horticulturist and in charge of production, with Madison—the baby of the family—being the driving force behind Lodge Merlot, the event facility on the property. And me? I run the family, as well as the Wine Barrel, the vineyard’s retail sales outlet.

This last year has seen its share of trials for our family. In late summer, Laura’s brother-in-law Edmond was murdered on vineyard property, and every single one of us was a suspect for a time. It was a tense few weeks until Deputy Jackson Landry could make an arrest. Jax is near and dear to my heart, as I practically raised him, so it was especially difficult for all of us. He had to be very careful not to treat the family any differently during the investigation.

Then just when we thought we were in the clear, two months later we landed smack-dab in another murder investigation at the Lost Pines Food & Wine Festival, of which River Bend had been a sponsor. Yours truly ended up in the suspect pool, yet again! But, hopefully, all that nasty business is behind us, especially now that we’re coming into the holiday season.

For my part, I’m in love with autumn. It’s my favorite time of year, and Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. The fun and frivolity of carving pumpkins, decorating the house, and all the parties, parties, parties! We even have an afternoon of fun for trick-or-treaters at the Wine Barrel every year. I don’t know about you, but the whole thing has me giddy with anticipation starting around the end of September. Then, once the excitement of All Hallows Eve has passed, we move on to briefly celebrating the blessing of family and friends with Thanksgiving, before steaming full-throttle to our December holiday of choice.

My family celebrates Christmas, and where I love the festive adornments, pageantry, and celebrations that go with it, I can’t help but feel saddened by the fact that poor Thanksgiving, stuck in the middle, seems to get the short end of the stick. In stores, the minute the Halloween candy and costumes are torn through and left behind, the commercialization of Christmas begins.  For the love of mud, where on earth does Thanksgiving fit in?

Down on the vineyard, in our neck of the woods, we take family very seriously…even our black sheep are included. After all, family is family. I’ve tried to make sure that my daughter, grandchildren, and extended family members break bread together every Sunday afternoon. Family fellowship is extremely important to me, and I’ve instilled that in each and every one of them. That’s why this November; I’m making sure that we have a Thanksgiving celebration to remember. I’m goin’ all out. Seems like I’ve invited half of Bastrop County, but that’s just fine.
So, my wish for you and yours is hold each other close, enjoy each other, and be very, very grateful. And if you don’t have a place to celebrate Thanksgiving, or family to celebrate
with, you can always come by the vineyard. It’s no bother at all, and we can always put out another place setting at the table.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

Joni Sauer-Folger



Meet the Author:

A native of Oregon, I spent twenty-two years with an airline traveling and moving around the country before settling down near the beautiful Pacific Ocean with my very spoiled cats.

I was lucky enough to find an outlet for my creativity and healthy imagination the moment I stepped out onto my first theater stage. After 20 years of theater, I still enjoy performing, but it doesn’t hold a candle to creating my own worlds and characters on a blank page.

When I’m not spending quality time with the characters I create, I enjoy gardening (though not always as diligent with the flower beds as I should be –damn weeds), crafting (never enough time in the day), and working in local theater (did I mention not having enough time?)

Oh, and I have a terrible shoe fetish. In my opinion, one can never have too many fabulous shoes…


Of Merlot & Murder (A Tangled Vines Mystery) Grapes of Death (A Tangled Vines Mystery)





Joni Sauer-Folger
IMMORTAL OBSESSION, AN IMMORTAL PROPHECY SERIES NOVEL - October 2014
IMMORTAL RECKONING, AN IMMORTAL PROPHECY SERIES SHORT STORY - July 2014
OF MERLOT & MURDER, A TANGLED VINES MYSTERY - Midnight Ink September 2014
GRAPES OF DEATH, A TANGLED VINES MYSTERY - Midnight Ink September 2013

*Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that makes you smile




Sunday, November 23, 2014

Weekly Wrap Up # 46

Happy Sunday to you! I am so glad you visited me this week. Here is what happened.

Nov. 21st- Friday 56

Book's I've read this week:

Lethal Letters by Ellery Adams
Snow White Red- Handed by Maia Chance
Murder Plain and Simple by Isabella Alan

Coming this week:

Nov. 24th- Guest Post by Joni Sauer Floger
Nov. 25th- Book Tour- Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson
Nov. 26th- Author Spotlight- Leslie Meier
Nov. 27th- First in a New Series- The Big Kitty by Claire Donnally
Nov.28th Friday 56
Nov. 29th- Book Trivia hosted by Mary Marks

Have a great Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it! Hope to see you this week. 



Saturday, November 22, 2014

Book Trivia hosted by Tonya Kappes

It's time for trivia and today's host is the Charming Tonya Kappes!! Leave answers in the comments as well as your email. I'm so excited to have Tonya here with us today. Good Luck!! The winner will be chosen on Sunday after noon.



I’m so excited to be here and participate in BOOK TRIVIA! Shelley, thank you so much for having me. My Magical Cures Mystery Series is a USA Today bestselling series with a total of six novels thus far. On December 1st, A CHARMING CHRISTMAS, a Magical Cures Mystery Series Novella will available on all ereaders. I’m excited because this is the first time the magical village will be celebrating Christmas!
1)   What is the name of the magical village in the Magical Cures Mystery series?

2)   What is June Heal’s spiritual gift?

3)   Who is June Heal’s fiancé?

4)   Where did June Heal go to college?

5)   In A Charming Secret, there is a new business in town. What is the name of the new business?

6)   In A Charming Wish, what was the genie’s name?

7)   What is June Heal’s favorite chocolaty treat?

8)   June Heal has two familiars. What are their names?

9)   How old was June Heal when her first familiar showed up on the steps of her home?
I’m excited to be giving away a signed copy of A CHARMING SECRET, Tonya Kappes Tote, and a Christmas mug to the winner!





Be sure to jump over to my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/authortonyakappes?ref=hl and be looking for HOLIDAY I-SPY! I've teamed up with mystery authors Laura Bradford, Susan McBride, Lynn Cahoon, and Maggie Barbieri for a fun holiday event! 



Tonya Kappes
Southern Small Town Mysteries 


Friday, November 21, 2014

Friday 56

Happy Friday! Brand new author with a Brand new book.  Don't miss it.


 



" Is that Snow White and the Huntsman?" You know the tale then, -the Evil Queen bids the Huntsman to cut out the girls liver."
Yes, charming story. So wholesome for the little ones. " 


you can get it here: 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

First in a New Series- Snow White Red- Handed

It's time for First in a New Series and if you love Fairy tales then this book is for you. Snow White Red Handed by Maia Chance debuted on Nov 4th.


Book Description

 November 4, 2014
Miss Ophelia Flax is a Victorian actress who knows all about making quick changes and even quicker exits. But to solve a fairy-tale crime in the haunted Black Forest, she’ll need more than a bit of charm…

1867: After being fired from her latest variety hall engagement, Ophelia acts her way into a lady’s maid position for a crass American millionaire. But when her new job whisks her off to a foreboding castle straight out of a Grimm tale, she begins to wonder if her fast-talking ways might have been too hasty. The vast grounds contain the suspected remains of Snow White’s cottage, along with a disturbing dwarf skeleton. And when her millionaire boss turns up dead—poisoned by an apple—the fantastic setting turns into a once upon a crime scene.

To keep from rising to the top of the suspect list, Ophelia fights through a bramble of elegant lies, sinister folklore, and priceless treasure, with only a dashing but mysterious scholar as her ally. And as the clock ticks towards midnight, she’ll have to break a cunning killer’s spell before her own time runs out…

Don't miss out on reading this book. 


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Author Spotlight- Denise Swanson

Happy Wednesday. Today's Spotlight goes to Denise Swanson!! Denise is the Author of the Scumble mystery series,

Denise Swanson

New York Times best selling author Denise Swanson writes from her personal experiences as a school psychologist and small town resident. Her plots are inspired by incidents that occur in her own life. Her books have been nominated for the Agatha, Mary Higgins Clark, RT, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.
Her next book, NICKELED-AND-DIMED TO DEATH, debuts March 2013.
Denise lives in Illinois with her husband, classical music composer, David Stybr, and her black cat, Boomerang.

Some of her books are: 


Murder of a Stacked Librarian: A Scumble River Mystery Dead Between the Lines: A Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry: A Scumble River Mystery Murder of a Barbie and Ken: A Scumble River Mystery

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

My Interview with Lynn Cahoon

I am so thrilled to have Lynn Cahoon chatting with us today! So get ready for an awesome interview and a chance to know Lynn a bit more.

  Thank you for being here today Lynn!




S.G. Tell us about yourself.
L.C.The official bit?
USA Today and New York Times, best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and four fur babies.
Basically I’m a small town girl who loves to make up stories and have fun. I have a grown son who’s a lot smarter than me and my own bad boy romance hero who has made my life interesting for the last few years we’ve been together.
S.G.Who or what inspired you to write?
L.C. I’ve always wanted to be a novelist. But when I was making college choices, no one had a degree for a writer. And I didn’t want to be a journalist. So I went practical and got a political science degree. Working and raising my family didn’t leave time for dreams, but when I was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, I realized someday may never come. I started writing essays, then short stories, and in 2012, published my first full length romance. I’ve never looked back.
S.G. What was the best thing about writing this series?
L.C. I adore South Cove. Building the town from scratch, I can make up people and businesses on a whim. But the returning characters are becoming more and more real with each passing book. And I so want to have Jill’s life.
S.G. What is the craziest thing you have done in the name of research?
L.C. I went out to the desert with two guys I met in a bar the night before and shot a variety of guns. I’m glad they were good old boys and not like the crazy killers I write about. Of course, one day, one of my victims will have to die this way.
S.G. Who are your favorite authors?
L.C. Anyone who tells a good story. I’m in love with Robyn Carr’s Thunder Point series, but then I’ve always  wanted to live on the Oregon Coast. I love old Stephen King, including his sequel to The Shining. And I’m loving the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. Oh, and Harlan Coben.  Yep, I’m all over the map here.
S.G. When you are not writing these great books what hobby do you have?
L.C. My husband and I are 4 wheel and camping fanatics. We just bought a lot and camper on a small lake in Central Missouri where we can ride trails and next summer, swim and boat. We love sitting next to the campfire with friends telling stories and drinking adult beverages.


S.G. Can you give us a peek of what you are working on now?
L.C. Book #5 of The Tourist Trap Mysteries… Working Title – Killer Run –
Desperate to be seen as a contributing soon to be member of the California Mission Society, Jill talks South Cove’s business community into sponsoring a 5k on the Mission Walk. The greenbelt runs parallel with Highway One and is a hot spot for runners and walkers alike. Until one of the run’s sponsors is found dead at the scene. Can Jill outrun the killer and help Greg solve the crime?
S.G. What are the five books on your to be read pile?
L.C. The Book of Life – Deborah Harkness
The Chance – Robyn Carr
Taken In – Elizabeth Lynn Casey
The Enemy – Lee Childs
One Book in the Grave – Kate Carlisle


S.G. What is one book you think everyone should read and why?
L. C. Illusions by Richard Bach. It’s new age and irreverent and funny and short and a great handbook for a positive life.  The book has come into my life a couple different times. Once when I was a teenager, looking for direction. And then I lost the book in a move. Years later, in 2011, I was in NYC for a writer’s conference and stopped at a street side book vendor. They had a used copy with an inscription from one lover to another. I bought it and took it home to read. Someday, I’ll write the story about the two lovers who lost each other and the book. Of course you know in my version, they’ll have a second chance.
S.G. What are two things that you want your readers to know?
L.C. Small town life can be either really in a small town, or in an urban setting. It’s all about community. And that can happen in an apartment building or in a tourist town like South Cove.  It’s a state of mind, and, my favorite way to live.
Reading is fundamental. (To steal a phrase.) Whether you love cozy mysteries, thrillers, romance, or non-fiction historical, take a chance and get lost in a good book. No matter what your preferred format, digital, paper, or audio, read to enhance your life. I love traveling to places I’ve never been through the pages of a good book. I hope my readers do too.
S.G. If you could have a dinner party for five authors living or dead who would they be and what would be on the menu?


L.C. On the menu? Something yummy but not fancy… good pizza or Italian.. so we don’t have to worry about the trappings of the meal, just enjoy the company. My husband does a mean prime rib, so maybe that…
Who would I invite? My BFF, Laura Bradford, Stephen King, of course, Ridley Pearson (because I hear he’s funny and he writes about Sun Valley Idaho) Robyn Carr (for the Oregon connection) and Kate Carlisle.


Thanks for having me over today.




If the Shoe Kills
The tourist town of South Cove, California, is a lovely place to spend the holidays. But this year, shop owner Jill Gardner discovers there’s no place like home for homicide. . .
As owner of Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner looks forward to the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers. But when the mayor ropes her into being liaison for a new work program, 'tis the season to be wary. Local businesses are afraid the interns will be delinquents, punks, or worse. For Jill, nothing’s worse than Ted Hendricks--the jerk who runs the program. After a few run-ins, Jill’s ready to kill the guy. That, however, turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted in his car--dead as a doornail. Officer Greg assumes it’s a suicide. Jill thinks it’s murder. And if the holidays weren’t stressful enough, a spoiled blonde wants to sue the city for breaking her heel. Jill has to act fast to solve this mess--before the other shoe drops. . .


"Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true." --Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries

Links –




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...